


Targeted Interference

by MosaicCreme



Series: Targeted Interference [1]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-09
Updated: 2017-05-19
Packaged: 2018-07-13 22:50:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 26
Words: 155,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7141052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MosaicCreme/pseuds/MosaicCreme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[AU] Jasmine Shepard joined the Alliance but instead of following the path that would lead her to save the galaxy, she became a Phantom. Working as an assassin for the Alliance's unofficial program, Jasmine encounters Thane Krios when they are both assigned the same target. Bested by the drell assassin, Jasmine pushes herself to surpass Thane but gets more than she bargained for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue - 2172

**Targeted Interference**

**Prologue - 2172**

Jasmine stopped on the corner and looked around the deserted street. The sun would be up soon, and she needed to find a place to crash. She'd been up for three days, riding the high from the last of her red sand. And it was the last. She'd promised herself that. Jasmine rarely made promises but when she did, she kept them. She was definitely, definitely, done with all the crap she'd been doing to get more.

She pulled her shaking hands from the pockets of her beat up leather jacket and shook a cigarette out of the pack. Jasmine looked around her again as she lit the cigarette and leaned against the brick wall behind her. A light came on in a window across the street; the sign above the door blinked on, and Jasmine saw the Systems Alliance insignia pop up on the screen. The insignia faded away to be replaced with the words 'Systems Alliance—Enlist Today!'

_Three hots and a cot, right? Shit, I can get the same thing in jail with less bullshit in the process._

Jasmine took a deep drag off of her cigarette, squinting her hazel eyes against the glow. She exhaled as she watched more lights come on in the Alliance building and caught sight of three men in uniform milling about the office. One of them stopped in the window and looked right at her. She didn't figure he could see her very well, but she got a good look at him. She guessed him to be in his early forties judging by the amount of gray mixed in with the brown. She couldn't see the finer lines around his eyes from across the street, but she could tell the sun had weathered his skin over the years. He stood like all Alliance stood.

_Like they have a stick up their ass. What is he trying out for the Alliance's poster boy? Why is he watching me? That's creepy._

Movement from above caught Jasmine's attention and she turned her head to see a skycar coming in from the north. She knew that soon, the area would be filled with skycars as people made their way to sit in their tiny cubicles and feed their souls to the machine. She pushed away from the wall, the bricks tugging at a few strands from her long ponytail as she went, making her wince. She drug the heels of her boots across the pavement as she willed her tired legs onward, dismissing the skycar and the Alliance recruiting office from her mind. Jasmine focused her attention on finding a place to crash.

_That warehouse isn't far, just a few blocks. Better than nothing. Won't be anyone around and it'll be quiet. I'll be out of sight._

"Hey baby, you need a ride somewhere?"

Jasmine's head jerked at the voice. She cursed herself for letting someone sneak up on her. The light blue skycar had dropped low enough to pull up beside her as she walked and a hooded man leaned out of the passenger window, his features indistinct in the first rays of sunrise.

"No, I'm good. Thanks," Jasmine said.

"You sure? We can take you wherever you wanna go, honey." He turned his head to look at the driver briefly. "Or you could just ride with us. Let us see what you got going on under that jacket."

_Real slick, moron. I bet you think that hood makes you look mysterious._

"I said I'm good, now fuck off," Jasmine said.

Jasmine picked up the pace hoping that the assholes in the skycar would get the point and leave her alone. _Of course_ , she thought when she heard the car stop and the doors open. She didn't run. _Never run, they like the chase too much._ Instead she braced herself for what she knew was coming. She could hear the rushed footsteps pounding the pavement behind her and tried to estimate how many of them there were. _Two… three? I can do two or three._ A hand grabbed her shoulder and tried to pull her back. Jasmine spun around and rammed her lit cigarette into Mr. Mysterious' face. He howled in pain and shock, the sound bringing his fellow would-be attackers up short. Jasmine followed up by ramming her fist into his nose.

"Bitch!" he yelled.

The two others took that as their cue and moved in, trying to flank her. One of them looked about Jasmine's age, seventeen. His acne scarred face stood out against his close cropped, blond hair. She guessed the other as being in his mid-twenties. It was hard to tell with his New York Yankees baseball cap casting shadows over his face in the dim light. Jasmine pulled her knife out of her pocket and flipped it open with practiced ease. She held it in front of her for them to see, hoping it would make them change their minds. She'd never actually used it on anyone before, but she damn sure would if they forced her hand.

"Hey, what's going on over there?" The masculine voice carried to Jasmine's ears from down the street but she didn't dare turn her head to see where it came from.

"Grab the whore and get her in the car!" The Yankee moved in on her right and tried to make a grab for her arm, but she slashed the knife through the air making him think twice.

_Whore?! I am not a fucking whore!_

Mr. Mysterious recovered from the shock of his broken nose enough to charge at Jasmine. She held the knife out in front of her but he kept moving. She stumbled as she retreated, feeling like a shuttle facing down a frigate. She watched in horror as he bent his knees and propelled forward, his feet leaving the concrete as he threw himself at her. Jasmine jumped to the side and he landed face first, cracking his forehead on the sidewalk. The Yankee grabbed her arms and pulled her backwards toward the car. She kicked and screamed and when that didn't work she dug the heels of her combat boots into the sidewalk.

"Get the fuck off of me!" Jasmine remembered she still had the knife and swung her arm down, embedding it in the man's thigh before ripping it out again. "Let me go you son-of-a-bitch!"

He tightened his grip on Jasmine's arm as he screamed and called her every name he could think of. Under different circumstances, Jasmine would have criticized him for his lack of creativity. The man slammed his head into the back of hers in retaliation, she saw stars and her body started to go slack.

"Let the girl go and turn around slowly." The world spun in Jasmine's head, making it sound like the voice came from all around her.

"Shit, he's got a gun, Jake. Let her go," Blondie said.

He threw Jasmine to the ground. "Yeah, well so do I."

Jasmine heard the sound of a gun being fired as she pushed herself up on scraped palms. Shoving loose locks of her long, black hair out of her face, she looked up to see The Yankee drop to the ground. He landed on his chest a few feet away, his head turned to the side. His eyes stared, opened wide in shock. Jasmine didn't realize he was dead until she saw the blood start to trickle out of the little hole in his forehead. His baseball cap lay on the ground between the two of them. With it gone, she could see his face more clearly and thought him closer to thirty.

She looked up to see the man from the Alliance recruitment office window holding Blondie at gunpoint. Jasmine could see a dark stain spreading down the front of the kid's pants. Mr. Mysterious started to move and the man in the uniform pointed the gun at him instead. Jasmine heard police sirens wailing in the distance.

"Stay down, or I will shoot," the Alliance poster boy said.

_Oh shit. He's not going to shoot me is he? I was just defending myself. He saw that right? I'm the victim here._

Impressed Mr. Mysterious was actually smart enough to listen to the order, she started to push herself up to sit on the sidewalk. She watched for any sign of alarm from the man with his finger on the trigger as she moved. She glanced at her knife. If she had to, if she really had to, she thought she could get to it before he shot her. She turned her eyes back to Poster Boy, but he had his attention on Blondie. He ordered Blondie to lie on the ground and put his hands behind his head.

"You alright ma'am?" Poster Boy asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just want to go," Jasmine said.

"I understand, ma'am, and I'm sorry but I can't let you leave. The police are going to want to speak with you," he said.

"Damn it," Jasmine whispered.

The sun's rays broke over the horizon, giving light to the gruesome scene around her. Blood smeared the tawny skin of her palms, and she thought she now had it on her face. Her dark blue jeans had new holes in both knees and the soles of her already worn through boots flapped loose. At least her jacket didn't look any worse. Her stomach twisted when she realized that the cuts on her palms barely bled. Most of the blood had come from Mr. Mysterious and The Yankee. She saw the red puddle growing around the dead man inching its way toward her.

Jasmine pushed herself up to her feet and held her palms out to the man with the gun. "I just don't want any more of his blood on me."

"Christ. How old are you?" he asked.

"Seventeen, almost eighteen," Jasmine said.

The police skycars arrived and officers spilled out over the scene. Jasmine stood off to the side, wishing she could make herself as invisible as she felt most days. The cops slapped handcuffs on Blondie and Mr. Mysterious, pulling them to their feet by their wrists. Another officer bent down to check for The Yankee's pulse and shook his head when he found none.

An ambulance arrived and the EMTs checked the body a second time, recording something on a datapad. Officers moved about taking pictures of the scene and setting out little yellow numbered triangles. When the EMTs finished, a female officer pointed them in Jasmine's direction. They followed her over and waited a few feet away while the female officer took pictures of Jasmine's injuries. The nametag on her uniform said Johnson. She swabbed the blood on Jasmine's palms and the back of her jeans, sliding each swab into a little plastic vial and labeling it with something Jasmine couldn't read. She put the vials into a bag and marked it before holding Jasmine's hands over an envelope and raking a plastic spatula under her nails. She closed the envelope and put that into its own bag.

"Were you sexually assaulted, ma'am?" She didn't even make eye contact with Jasmine as she asked, she just kept her eyes on her datapad.

"What? No. They just grabbed me, tried to get me into their car." Jasmine ran her eyes over the scene once more.

_I just want to go to sleep and forget this ever happened._

"Alright ma'am. One of the other officers will come by to take your statement." She nodded to the EMTs as she returned to her skycar.

_Crap, how long is this going to take?_

Jasmine watched through heavy lids as the EMTs cleaned and bandage her hands. She hissed through clenched teeth as they prodded the tender lump on her head. They were gentle and spoke softly to her as the worked, explaining what they were doing at each step. They shined a light in her eyes and asked her to follow along with her eyes as one of them moved a finger back and forth in front of her face. They told her that they didn't believe her skull had been fractured, and she wasn't showing signs of a concussion but that they could take her to the hospital if she wanted to be safe.

She shook her head. "I'm fine, I just want to go."

They sent information on what she should be alert for, and when she should seek medical attention to her omni-tool before leaving her alone. She shuffled around nervously when the Alliance Poster Boy stepped away from one of the cops and walked over to her.

"They said I can take you inside until they're ready to talk to you. Come on, we'll get you cleaned up and get you some coffee or something," he said.

"What about my knife?" Jasmine asked.

"They'll probably take it in as evidence, I'm sorry," he said.

"Damn it." Jasmine rubbed the arm of her jacket across her forehead. "Alright."

Jasmine followed him, keeping her head low to avoid the sun. The other two men she'd seen earlier stood staring out the window at the commotion. The older of the two, with graying hair and a pinched expression, held the door open for them and saluted.

"I'm Service Chief Geoffrey Williams. What's your name, kid?" Geoffrey asked.

"Jasmine," she said.

"Nice name. Pretty. Jasmine what?" Geoffrey asked.

"Shepard," Jasmine said.

Geoffrey nodded and turned to address the two men. "Rutherford, show Ms. Shepard here where the restroom is so she can wash up. Sanders, get Ms. Shepard a cup of coffee."

The two men saluted before going about following their orders.

"Right this way, ma'am." Rutherford, the same man who held the door open now gestured towards the back of the office.

Jasmine followed him down a hall and stepped inside the small bathroom. She locked the door behind her and used a damp paper towel to wash the blood from her face. She carefully felt the back of her head and heaved a sigh of relief when she found nothing more than a knot.

_Maybe the police will leave me alone after they take a statement. It was self-defense; Poster Boy will tell them what he saw. Shit, my cigarettes._

Jasmine spotted a lip above the door frame and dug her cigarettes out of her pocket. She had to reach on her tip-toes to hide the pack and lighter, thinking she'd come back for them later. Jasmine opened the bathroom door and paused when she realized Rutherford had waited just outside. She gave the severe looking man a wary look. He gestured back down the hall and Jasmine started walking. She glanced back to see him following her, the hairs rising on the back of her neck. She reached the main waiting area and saw Geoffrey sitting at a desk near the front door. A cup of steaming coffee sat in front of two other chairs on the other side. He waved her over and she hesitated until she remembered the man behind her. Jasmine squared her shoulders and crossed the floor to stand in front of Geoffrey's desk.

"How's your head?" he asked.

"What?" Jasmine responded.

"Your head. Is it bleeding?" Geoffrey asked.

"Oh, no. There's just a knot," she said.

He nodded his head at the empty chairs. "Have some coffee while you wait."

Jasmine sat and stared at the cup. With the adrenaline wearing off, she felt even more sluggish than before. She balanced the cup with her fingertips, keeping the hot ceramic off her bandaged palms and took a sip. A bell went off over the door as an officer walked inside. He looked around until he spotted Jasmine and made a beeline for her. Jasmine sat up straight and tried not to cower. _I didn't do anything wrong. He's got no reason to take me in. None._ Another cop entered and asked to speak to Geoffrey somewhere else, so he left the desk and took the officer to a side room.

"I'm Officer Daryl Henry. I just need to ask you a few questions about what happened this morning. Get your side of the story. Do you mind if I sit with you?" Daryl pointed at the chair next to Jasmine.

She nodded her head. He pulled the chair out and turned it to face her before sitting down. Jasmine put the mug back on the desk and picked at the bandages with her hands in her lap. _Maybe they won't ask about the burn. Last thing I need right now is another ticket._ She showed him her ID when he asked and watched as he scanned it with his omni-tool. She chewed at her lip when her mugshots popped up on his screen.

He confirmed that she didn't know the men prior to the altercation and asked which direction they came from. He didn't believe her when she said that she broke Mr. Mysterious' nose, asking her if it hadn't been Service Chief Williams who'd done it instead. Jasmine rolled her eyes and said she was sure. She told him everything she could remember about what the men said and did, as well as how she responded skipping over the cigarette burn.

Jasmine scratched her cheek when he asked about the burn. He kept his eyes steady on her, waiting out her silence. She let out a sigh and admitted that she had shoved her lit cigarette in his face when he grabbed her. The officer looked at her then back at her rap sheet and grunted.

_I guess he's got bigger things to worry about than slapping my wrist for smoking. I'll be eighteen in two months anyway._

She started to get uneasy when he asked her about the knife. _I'm not in trouble for that, right? It's legal, I checked!_ She told him it belonged to her father, the only thing she had left from him. _Besides his last name and the memory of him walking out on mom. Mom killed herself a month later, and he was nowhere to be found until his name showed up in the obituaries a year later._ The officer made a note and moved on, asking her where she had come from and where she was going. Jasmine didn't answer right away and the officer looked up from his datapad.

"I was just out." Jasmine shrugged.

"Just out?" Daryl repeated.

"Yeah," Jasmine nodded, "just out."

He stared at her in silence but she didn't offer him any further explanation.

"Ms. Shepard, it says here that you're emancipated. Is there anyone you want us to call? Someone who can come get you?" Daryl asked.

"There isn't anyone to call. I'll be alright," Jasmine said.

"I see. I'm sorry but we're going to have to take your dad's knife into evidence. It will be released to you once the case is closed. I'll need a way to contact you in case I have any further questions," Daryl said.

Jasmine gave him her extranet address, and he frowned.

"It's all I got," she said.

Geoffrey and the other cop returned from the other room to stand in the middle of the office. Daryl excused himself and went to talk to his partner while Geoffrey took a seat behind his desk. Jasmine stayed put, unsure whether she could leave yet or not.

"Probably just a trick gone bad, johns got a little rough with her and she fought back." Daryl spoke in hushed tones to his partner but Jasmine heard it anyway.

"I'm not a whore." Jasmine stared daggers at the cop.

Daryl turned towards her and raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"I said I'm not a goddamn whore. I wasn't doing anything wrong. I was just walking down the street, and those creeps attacked me," Jasmine said.

"Ma'am, it's clear that you're strung out. You're not the first junkie I've seen turn to prostitution to get their fix. We're not here to arrest you, so I suggest you settle down before you give us a reason to." The second officer smirked as he shook his head at Jasmine.

Jasmine's eyes bulged, she opened her mouth ready to tear him a new one when Geoffrey shoved his chair away from the desk and cleared his throat. She watched as he moved around the desk and stood in front of her, making himself a wall between Jasmine and the officers.

"Excuse me officers, but I believe you have both of our statements. I'm sure that you can contact either of us with any further questions. You've made it clear that you do not intend to arrest Ms. Shepard this morning, so I think I can take it from here. I'll make sure Ms. Shepard is returned home safely," Geoffrey said.

"Listen, Mr. Williams –," Daryl said.

"Service Chief Williams," Geoffrey corrected.

"Service Chief Williams. With all due respect, sir, we've seen this kind of thing hundreds of times. The kid doesn't have a home, she's strung out on drugs—probably red sand and—," Daryl said.

"Officers, with all due respect your job is done here. Please don't make me place a call to Lieutenant Johnson. She really hates being disturbed this early in the morning," Geoffrey said.

The smirk slowly dissolved off of the second officer's face as Daryl tucked his datapad away. "Of course. Thank you for your time, sir."

Geoffrey escorted the two men to the door and then turned to watch them out of the window as they returned to their patrol car and flew away. Other police skycars remained down the block as they finished with the scene. Jasmine stood up on shaky legs, drawing the service chief's attention back to her.

"Thanks," she said. "I should go."

"Wait, Ms. Shepard. Let me give you a ride," Geoffrey said.

"No, really, it's alright. I'm not going far," Jasmine said.

"You look like you're about to pass out where you stand. Please, let me take you wherever you're going," Geoffrey said.

Jasmine rubbed her hands up and down her upper arms and nodded her head. "Can I use the bathroom again first?"

"Of course. I'll meet you outside," he said.

Jasmine retrieved her cigarettes and left the Alliance office. A skycar waited for her just outside, the door already lifted open. Geoffrey waited for her to shut the door and buckle her seatbelt before he asked her where she wanted to go. She pointed in the direction of the warehouse and he took off.

"You can just let me out here." About a block from the warehouse, Jasmine pointed down at the street.

"Are you sure?" He looked around the area, "I know it really isn't my business but this _is_ _not_ a good neighborhood."

_No place I'm at is ever a good neighborhood. People like Officer Dickhead work real hard to keep people like me out of good neighborhoods._

"I – I don't have anywhere else to go. There's a place not far from here where I can get some sleep. I'll be alright," she said.

_Shit, why am I telling him this? Why'd I even let him drive me here? Come on dude, just put the car down and let me out._

The skycar hovered over the street as Geoffrey looked out the window. "You know … we've got a guest room, and my wife could actually really use someone to help her out around the house."

_Right. What's the catch?_

"Why would you do that? You don't know me. What if everything those cops said was right?" Jasmine raised her eyebrow.

Geoffrey slowly turned the skycar around. Jasmine didn't tell him to stop; instead she turned in her seat to stare at him.

_What do you want? If you're thinking you can get some easy action for saving me you're sorely mistaken._

"I think they got it wrong. I think they got you wrong." He glanced at her. "I think that you've had it rough and maybe you need to get clean but if you're willing to accept the help, we can get you there. My wife is a drug rehabilitation counselor."

_Ah, that's what this is. Service Chief Williams has a hero complex. You think you're going to save me Chief? Right. Like I haven't heard that before. I don't need you to save me. I'll save my own damn self._

"If that's why you're doing this then you don't need to worry about it. I'm done with red sand. I'm done with all of it. I've already made up my mind and trust me, once my mind is made up, it doesn't change easily," she said.

"That's good then, you're headed in the right direction. It isn't easy. It'll be a rough ride, and you'll need someone to help get you through it. That's not why I'm doing this, though," he said.

"Then why?" Jasmine watched him with narrowed eyes.

Geoffrey took his time answering, his eyes on the traffic ahead. "You didn't run. You stood your ground, and you fought. I admire that."

"If I'd run, they'd only chase me. I know assholes like that. The chase is half the fun for them," she said.

"That's a shame," he said.

"What?" she asked.

"That you know assholes like that. So, should I turn the car back around, or will you accept the help I'm offering?" Geoffrey glanced at her again.

_Would it really be so bad? A hot shower. A dry bed. Maybe even some real food? It's not like I have to stay. It's not like he's going to keep me around for more than a day or two anyway. If he gets handsy I can always walk. Then again, he does carry a gun and it sure as hell looked like he has no trouble hitting his target. Why is he even doing this? Damn, I'm tired. What does he really want? Shit I can't even think straight right now. Screw it._

Jasmine turned to look back out of the window and bit her lip. "Yeah. Okay. It's gotta be better than a dirty warehouse floor."

* * *

Jasmine spent the next six months living with the Williams family. Her eighteenth birthday came and went, but still they didn't tell her she had to leave. She endured the hell and got clean just like she promised herself she would. The first few days were the worst as she suffered through withdrawal. She spent her days holed up in the guest bedroom tossing and turning on sweat-soaked sheets. She thought it would be less painful to set herself on fire, and she couldn't keep anything down. Not a minute went by that she didn't have to fight against the voice in her head telling her to rob the Williams family blind and score some red sand. Just to make the pain go away.

She made it through, though and she knew that Karin Williams was largely to thank. Jasmine thought that woman truly did have the patience of a saint. She sat at Jasmine's side through the worst of it, and remained steadfast even when Jasmine fought against her. Jasmine couldn't bring herself to call the Williams family her family, even if their children had taken to calling her their new big sister. In fact, Jasmine did her best to keep her distance from the three girls, Jessica, Angela, and Samantha. She didn't want the girls to know about her past, or who she had been, afraid that it would corrupt them.

Jasmine felt good. For the first time in her life, she felt like she belonged somewhere. She felt like they wanted her there. She also knew, though, that it couldn't last forever and she needed to do something. She needed to get her on her own two feet, and a plan to get her life in order.

"Mr. Williams?" Jasmine leaned against the door frame that led to Geoffrey's home office.

"Jasmine, when will you stop calling me that?" Geoffrey asked.

"Sorry, sir. I uh – have you got a minute to talk?" Jasmine asked.

"Sure, come on in. What's on your mind?" He closed the lid on his laptop and spun his chair to face the small couch as she sat down.

"Your work, you do recruitment right?" Jasmine asked.

"Yes, for the time being. Why, what's up?" he asked.

Jasmine squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. "I want to enlist."


	2. Alexandre Marquis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to thank the lovely MizDirected for taking the time to beta Targeted Interference.

**A/N:** I would like to thank the lovely MizDirected for taking the time to act as beta for _Targeted Interference_.

**Alexandre Marquis**

_Who the fuck is that?_ Jasmine's eyes strained to pierce the darkness of the shadows across the expanse. _Did they send someone to watch me?! One time, I fucked up one time in three years as a Phantom and they've got a tail on me now?_ His posture mimicking Jasmine's, the blurry silhouette revealed nothing more of the man on the opposite catwalk.

She suppressed a growl and turned her attention back to her target, Alexandre Marquis. The dossier the Alliance gave her detailed him as forty-two years of age, six-foot-two, and a hundred-eighty-three pounds. Marquis and his wife, forty-year-old Ella Marquis, had a twenty-year-old son named John. The Alliance suspected Marquis of running an arms trade with batarian slavers. Jasmine reviewed the evidence they had and didn't think it very substantial, which is exactly why she had been sent to kill him. The Alliance wanted dangerous men like. Marquis out of the equation, and if they couldn't take someone like him out above board, they sent in a Phantom.

Swinging her sniper rifle into position, Jasmine put her eye to the scope. Marquis paced the floor of the office down below. Unsure, whether the glass was reinforced or not, Jasmine didn't dare take the risk of trying to fire through the wall to hit her target. A misjudgment on her part would alert Marquis that his life was in danger. Even normal glass could still pose a problem, if hit at the wrong angle it would shatter. If it didn't shatter, it would leave a perfect hole that could be used to trace the trajectory of her shot, leading C-Sec straight to her perch. She didn't see any reason to risk them finding any trace evidence she might accidentally leave behind.

_And it would be an exceptionally stupid move with Big Brother Phantom over there watching._

She resisted the urge to look at the mysterious figure again. Jasmine ignored the cramping in her arms and waited. _I wonder who they sent. I bet it's Raul. Smug asshole._

Marquis threw his hand up in frustration. His face reddened as he yelled at the two other men in the room. According to her intel, they were Michael Vaddik and James Roman. They worked for Marquis at his shipping company, Marquis' Shipping and Supplies, running the cargo lines. Unimportant laborers on paper, but in reality thugs Marquis used as bodyguards in his arms trade. Jasmine wouldn't lose any sleep if a stray bullet hit one of them, but they weren't her target so she ignored them.

_Come on you asshole, leave your office so I can go home._

Jasmine ripped her face away from the scope to look at the office. The glass wall began to darken; someone had activated the privacy function. _Damn it._ She took a second to glance at the Phantom across the expanse, but he had disappeared. _Damn it, damn it, damn it._ Jasmine pressed her eye back to the scope, she couldn't see through the glass at all. She had to move. Jasmine slung her rifle over her shoulder and followed the catwalk towards the office.

She rounded a steel I-beam support and saw the other Phantom crouched down low, balanced on a horizontal beam above the ceiling panels. A ventilation panel set into the tiles just in front of him, letting thin streams of light into the area. _The fuck? Is he stealing my target?!_ Jasmine inched her way out on to the beam, her movement bringing the attention of the Phantom. He turned his head a fraction of an inch in her direction but it was enough for the light to catch his face.

_Definitely not Raul. Is that—shit that's a drell. Who the hell is he?_

The man with green, scaled skin and black orbs for eyes removed the ventilation panel, sliding it out of the ceiling without making a sound. Jasmine quickened her pace as the stranger grippd the metal beam and dropped into the room. _Shit._ Moving to the opening, she settled her rifle into high ready. _Where's Marquis? Where? Where? There._ Jasmine lined up a shot while Marquis fled from the pistol-wielding assassin below. The guards already sprawled across the floor, their heads twisted at unnatural angles. She pulled the trigger. Her shot was high and off center next to the hole left by the stranger.

The drell lowered his gun as Marquis dropped to the floor. He didn't even bother to turn and look at her as he put his pistol away and moved to crouch in front of Marquis. When he stood again, Jasmine saw that he had crossed Marquis' arms over his chest and now stood with his hands clasped and his head bowed. _Is he praying? Christ, who is this guy?_ Jasmine pushed her sniper rifle around to the side and opened her omni-tool. She kept one eye on the assassin as she activated the camera app and snapped a quick picture. She looked at the image on the holoscreen to be sure she got him before lifting her eyes to him once more. He had turned his body at an angle, giving her a smaller target. With his face lifted to the light, she could see that his eyes weren't in fact solid black orbs but beneath a darkened layer moved more humanlike green eyes. Jasmine shifted her omni-tool and tapped the button again, taking another picture of the alien with Marquis' corpse in the background.

A biotic Warp slammed into Jasmine. Her muscles locked tight, tying themselves into knots as she tried desperately to keep her balance. She crashed through the ceiling panel, falling flat on her back feeling as if she were being twisted and torn into a million pieces. Jasmine writhed on the floor trying to pull air into her lungs and get her feet under her again. He appeared over her, his foot casually sweeping her rifle aside as he grabbed her wrist and tried to flip her to her stomach. Her fitted jeans tugged uncomfortably as she rolled forward. He followed her roll, adjusting to maintain his grip.

No matter what she did, he countered her every attempt to break free, blocking every effort to take control of the situation. _I can't beat him. He's going to kill me._ Panic reached for her like a stranger's hands in the night, but she shoved it away. The air rushed back in her lungs as he twisted her shoulder behind her, tearing loose a pained gasp. She regretted her choice of fitted jeans and leather jacket; they didn't give her the flexibility she really needed in hand to hand combat.

"I have no contract for you. I only want the photographs. I can't allow you to keep them," he said.

_Damn it, I need those!_

Her leather jacket creaked as she stiffened her arm, leaning into the pressure on her shoulder. Forcing him to shift his weight, she kicked out behind her, catching him in the knee. She yanked her arm free and spun around to see a pistol in her face. She eased back, his eyes tracking her every move making her feel like prey.

_Don't run. Never run, they like the chase too much._

"Erase them and you are free to go," he said.

She'd never seen a drell outside of the Alliance training files before. Her eyes studied him, taking in the nuances of his features. She assessed and catalogued them, trying to commit them to memory. If she survived this, she might need to identify him, and she didn't think she was going to survive this if she didn't delete the photographs. Her mind flailed, trying to latch on to what she could remember about them.

_Denser muscles and crest will make it more difficult to snap his neck. Not impossible, though. Drell can inflate their throats or something like that, which means … which means what? Oh, strangulation and suffocation are more difficult. Three chambered heart. Shit, is that weakness or a strength? What am I forgetting?_

"Who are you?" Jasmine asked.

He tilted his head a fraction of a centimeter to the side. "Who are you?"

"Fair enough." Jasmine glanced at her sniper rifle.

She calculated her odds. Her sniper rifle laid three feet away, the door six, and the assassin four. She had a pistol secured to her back and three knives strapped to her calf concealed by her boot.

"Erase them or I will." The soft rumble of his voice told her nothing of how he intended to accomplish that.

Jasmine dropped her arm to her side and shifted her weight, standing perpendicular to the drell. She knew she couldn't get past him, and no way would she be able to get to any of her weapons before he put a bullet between her eyes.

_Fuck me._

He didn't respond, and she didn't know how long he would continue to play nice.

_Fuck._

"Fine, I'll take another of just him." Jasmine opened her omni-tool and ran her fingers over the screen pulling up the images.

"Show me," he said.

Jasmine narrowed her eyes at the assassin and turned her arm out so he could see as she deleted the two photos. With the last two photos deleted, the holoscreen displayed an image of Dr. Eileen Easley, her last target.

"All gone, see? Now what?" Jasmine asked.

He circled around her until he got to the desk and stepped up on the mounted, reinforced glass surface. He slipped his pistol behind his brown leather jacket before lunging for the opening in the ceiling. Pulling himself back up through the vent hole with impressive ease, he disappeared from her sight. Jasmine watched the empty space for a few seconds before picking up her sniper rifle and slinging it over her back.

She moved over to Marquis and snapped a quick picture before glancing at the darkened door. She couldn't go out that way, she'd be seen. _Damn it._ She looked up at the ceiling where the alien had disappeared and bit her lip.

_This isn't going to be pretty._

With a running start, Jasmine pushed off the desk and launched herself at the ceiling. Scrabbling for purchase, she grabbed a hold of the metal stripping and swung her legs up to gain leverage on the shattered tiles. Noise at the door urged her on as she used her feet to push herself up. The metal stripping began to creak and groan beneath her thought she heard the door open, the noise barely audible over the thunder of her heartbeat.

_Shit. Shit. Shit._

"Mr. Marquis? Shit, there up there! Grab 'em, don't let 'em get away," a man's voice came from beneath her.

Jasmine pushed again, slapping her palm on the lip of the I-beam. A green hand wrapped around her forearm and pulled. Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, she clung to his leather jacket with both hands. Someone grabbed her ankles and yanked. Her eyes growing wide with panic, Jasmine jerked a foot free and slammed it down into her assailant's face. His nose gave way with a satisfying crunch, bring a pained yelp as his hands fell away. Relief flooded her as she felt the satisfying crunch of the man's nose breaking beneath her heel as he let her go. The drell pulled her through the hole. Jasmine clung to his jacket, her face and chest pressed awkwardly against him as she regained her footing. Pulling away, she eyed him warily.

_Why did you help me?_

Bullets ripped through the ceiling tiles, ricocheting off the metal beneath their feet. With no time to hesitate, Jasmine ran until she was clear of the ceiling. Her pistol trained on the ventilation hole, she paused long enough to look back at the assassin but he'd vanished again. Her chest heaved and she could hear her pulse throbbing in her skull as she strained her eyes against the darkness, fruitlessly searching for the drell.

* * *

Thane watched from the shadows as the human fled. She was an unknown quantity. Unexpected. He didn't like that. He had watched her as she made her way through the series of catwalks and chose her sniper perch. Her movements told him that she had training, so not a mercenary thug. Yet still wet behind her ears as the humans said. Still, she had managed to land a single kick to his knee.

_She required proof of Marquis' death. She took my picture as well. For what purpose? To show her employer? To confirm my identification? No, she asked who I was and showed no sign of familiarity. Perhaps merely to show due diligence in her reports._

He followed her, staying to the darkest shadow and moving silently. He paused when she stopped and looked first behind her and then around the catwalks trying to find him. He needed to know who she was and who sent her. She stuck to the catwalks as she moved, weaving her way through the hidden areas of the Citadel. She skirted past a keeper before ducking into one of the few maintenance access rooms connecting the wards.

He watched from above as she reappeared on the floor below. Her sniper rifle retracted, hidden beneath her jacket careful not to reveal it as she moved. Most people wouldn't be able to pick out the weapon; he could see it, though. The hanar had trained him well. He continued to follow her from the catwalks until it became disadvantageous to do so, and then he dropped down over the edge into the shadows and watched. He would have to stay further behind her from the ground, but he wouldn't lose her.

She moved through the wards and headed towards Chora's Den. Thane's brows furrowed but he followed, waiting for her to disappear inside before making his way to the door. He could hear the thumping bass from the music already and dreaded going inside but he did as he must. He spotted her immediately; she stood with her back to him talking to one of the bar's few human employees while scantily clad asari tried to attract her attention. The waitress pointed to the back of the bar, and his target's head turned to look before nodding.

She stepped away from the waitress and made her way to the back. Thane skirted the round bar in the opposite direction, keeping her in his sights through the crowd. She stepped into a hall and he moved into position, pressing his back against the doorway and glancing after her. She stopped just a few feet in and opened her omni-tool, her back to the doorway. He pulled himself back behind cover when her feet shifted, indicating her turn before she made the movement.

He listened from the doorway as she placed a call. His eyes quickly scanned the area until he found her reflection in the mirrored surface of a nearby table and watched. A human male appeared on her holoscreen, his image distorted from Thane's viewpoint.

"Phantom AC3H5." She glanced over her shoulder again before turning back to the screen.

"Report, Phantom," the man on the screen said.

"The target has been eliminated but there were … complications." She shifted her weight, her spine stiffening as she spoke.

"What is the nature of the complication? Do you require extraction?" the man asked.

The woman looked over her shoulder again. "No, I don't think so. There was someone else. I believe he was after the same target. I was… I was seen again."

"How many saw you and can any of them give a description of your likeness?" he asked.

"No one else saw my face. The others worked for Marquis and they only saw my legs… well and one of them got to see my boot up close and personal," she said.

"One can recognize you then. Do you have a description for him? Any indication of who he works for or if was he on his own?" the man asked.

"I don't think he's going to be a problem," she said.

"That's not what I asked," he said.

"He uh… he mentioned a contract but that's all I know." She shifted to look over her shoulder again.

"Can you describe him for me?" he asked.

"Sure, he looked like a giant, fit gecko." Jasmine rubbed her head, trying to soothe her agitation. "He was a drell, that's about all I got."

"What details do you remember? Any particular markings or patterns that you can describe?" he asked.

She shifted her weight and looked over her shoulder once more. "Uh, no. I didn't get that good of a look at him. He stayed to the shadows."

Thane smiled and nodded at an asari who came to dance in front of him. He watched the human's reflection out of the corner of his eye and continued to listen as he smiled encouragingly at the asari.

_She is lying, she saw me perfectly. I watched her eyes as she appraised the details of my face and form. Others would have killed her for that alone._

"Alright. We've got a hanar contact, I'll see if he knows of any drell in the area. In the meantime, send in your report, and I'll send you your next dossier. Somewhere off the Citadel. I suggest you wait an hour or so before making your way to the transport," he said.

"What's going to happen?" she asked.

"For Christ's sake. You ask too many questions, Phantom," the man said.

The screen went dark. "And no one ever seems to answer any of them."

* * *

Jasmine closed her omni-tool and crossed the bar claiming a seat in one of the alcoves that lined the rounded walls. She'd barely had a chance to sit when an asari climbed on the table in front of her. _Why the hell not? I'm probably going to get pulled from active as soon as Leon hears about this. I can't believe I was seen again. I'm so screwed. This is worse than Dr. Easley._

Jasmine opened her omni-tool to look at the picture of Marquis. She slid her finger across the image, dismissing it and pulling up the next. The picture of Dr. Easley stared back at her. Taken from a rooftop on Earth, across the street from Dr. Easley's clinic, the photo showed her lifeless eyes turned to the camera. Blood matted her blond hair and stained her white lab coat crimson. Another doctor, a man named Dr. Robert Anders, stood just inside the frame. He had seen Jasmine seconds after she'd taken the photo. A vague description of her had circulated the media the same day. By the next day the Alliance had made it disappear but not before making sure Jasmine knew what it cost them to do so. She'd gotten a call from Geoffrey that night. Only one of a handful of people who knew what she really did in the Alliance, he didn't approve of her position, but he did his best to support her. It had been five years since she'd seen Geoffrey in person, six since that night he saved her life.

Jasmine caught the waitress' eye and waved her over. She ordered a drink and sat back in the chair to take in the pale blue beauty in front of her. The waitress returned with her drink and shook her head when Jasmine tried to hand her a credit chit.

"It's already been paid for, ma'am," the waitress said.

Jasmine sat up straight and glanced around the area. "By whom?"

"That gentleman right over there." The waitress pointed.

Jasmine's eyes followed the woman's hand as she pointed across the room to another alcove. _Fantastic, it's him._ Her body tensed, telling her it was time to fight or flee. He sat facing her, not far from the door. His arms stretched out across the back of the booth, and he rested one ankle on the other knee. He watched her without expression, the intensity of his gaze burning through Jasmine like hot pokers and belying his relaxed posture. Jasmine turned back to the waitress and thanked her, lifting the glass from her tray. She tipped the asari dancer, taking the excuse to try and calm her racing heart before she stepped out of the alcove. He continued to watch her as she crossed the bar and came to a stop in front of him. She slowly sat the drink down in front of him, but he kept his eyes on her.

"You made it out, then," Jasmine said.

"Does that disappoint you?" He gestured to the booth across from him.

Jasmine hesitated, looking around her before she took a seat. He adjusted himself in the booth to face her.

"It would have made my life easier if you hadn't," she said with a shrug, "but no. I didn't get the chance to thank you. Now I'm wondering if you're here because you've changed your mind. What's in the drink?"

He clasped his hands on the table in front of him, separating them long enough to gesture at the bar.

"You would have to ask the waitress," he said.

Jasmine tapped a finger on the table. She couldn't read him the way she could a human. She couldn't tell honesty from deception with him, and it put her on edge.

"Why are you here, Mr. …?" Jasmine asked.

"You may call me Tannor, if you must call me something. I thought perhaps we could talk," he said.

_An alias, of course._

Jasmine looked around the room again. Her eyes checked the positions of people nearby. She looked to see if anyone was listening, or perhaps paying particular attention to her table. No one seemed to pay them any mind.

"I'm listening." She turned her full attention back to the drell.

"I work alone, and I have no intentions of harming you. Had I, you would already be dead," he said.

"What do you want then?" Jasmine asked.

"I told you, to talk. I am interested to know how you came to be … at that particular location today," he said.

Jasmine smirked, amused by his evasive attempts but she wasn't one for etiquette and word games "Let's cut the bullshit. You know damn well what I do, and I know you do the same. You know that I can't tell you anything about it, and I doubt there's much you can tell me."

"I can tell you that you are loud, your work is sloppy. You are new to this profession and would be best served by finding a new one while you still can." He frowned as Jasmine's face pinched in anger. "Forgive me, I did not mean this as an insult. Truly, you show great potential but this is not a path I would suggest to anyone."

Jasmine crossed her arms, trying to ignore the whispers of old doubts coming back to haunt her with the drell's comment. "Then why are _you_ on it?"

"I have – it is too late for me; it is all I know." He bent his elbows and folded his hands just beneath his chin. "It's all I have left."

The answer caught Jasmine off guard, and she dropped her eyes. _That is truth. There's my baseline._ She lifted her eyes again and leaned forward.

"Did you follow me here?" Jasmine asked.

"I did. I wanted to see where you would go." A smile tugged at his lips as he glanced around the bar. "This was not what I expected."

_He's not even attempting to lie. That's almost disappointing._

Jasmine shrugged. "It's easier to disappear in a crowd. It's loud; people are drunk and busy looking at the dancers. No one will remember me."

"Your employers trained you to do this?" he asked.

_Not exactly._

"Let's just say it's a lesson life taught me long ago." She shook her head. "What about you? Your employers train you to cut in on other people's jobs and then stalk them across the Citadel?"

"I accepted a contract. You were an unexpected variable, but I remained obligated to uphold my end of the agreement. I showed myself to you so that you would be warned away. You looked right at me, but prepared your shot anyway. You were, as you said, cutting in on my job," he said.

Jasmine scratched her cheek. "I thought you were someone else. Not that it matters, because it was _my_ job. I got there first. That doesn't explain why you followed me here."

"You took my picture. I needed to know who you planned to give it to," he said.

"You eavesdropped on me." Jasmine did her best to keep her tone level and her features flat.

"Indeed." His eyes searched her face as he spoke. "Though it was not as illuminating as I had hoped."

She leaned back against the cushioned booth. "That's why you didn't kill me. Why you helped me get out."

_Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Oh I am so dead. If he doesn't just kill me now, the Alliance will._

"I didn't kill you because I had no contract for you, and you made no attempt on my life. I saw no reason for you to die. I helped you because I wanted to. I followed you because I have learned to be cautious," he said.

"I had to tell them you saw me." Jasmine licked her lips as her heart began to race. She hid her hands in her lap, afraid he might see them tremble.

"And who are _they?_ " he asked.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I can't tell you that."

He studied her quietly for a moment. "You lied to them. You told them you didn't get a good look at me. Why is that?"

_I don't know. Maybe I shouldn't have._

Jasmine shrugged. "You helped me."

"Will they come looking for me? Because I saw your face?" he asked.

_He's threatened. I need to diminish that. He needs to see me as insignificant, not worth remembering. Wait, they have eidetic memory. Shit, OK, so he's going to remember me either way. Still … ._

Jasmine smirked. "No, they're not that ruthless, and I'm not that important. If you tell C-Sec, or go to the media they'll make it disappear. If they can't, they'll cut all ties with me and disavow any knowledge of me or my activities. I'll be thrown to the wolves."

"What if they learn you lied?" he asked.

"No, it's my turn. What about you? You said contract, does that mean you're freelance?" Jasmine asked.

"Indeed," he said.

"So, there's no one I need to worry about coming after me because I've seen your face?" Jasmine couldn't help but to glance around the room again but still no one seemed to be paying them any attention.

He smirked. "No, there is no one. Not anymore."

_Not anymore? So he used to work for someone else, the hanar probably. Maybe I can find something on him if I dig around._

"The other two, Vaddik and Roman, were you hired to kill them as well?" Jasmine asked.

"No, but they were his guards and would have attempted to defend Marquis." He opened his hands turning his palms up as he spoke. "They would have taken my life if given the opportunity. I did not give them that opportunity."

"So why not use a sniper rifle like most? You could have taken Marquis and left the others alive," Jasmine said.

"I prefer a more direct method. You would have spared the others?" His brows twitched.

_He's challenging me. Testing me. For what?_

"I had my orders, and they weren't targets. I'm not the judge and jury. Just the executioner. It isn't my call to make," Jasmine said.

"These people that you work for, they are the judge and jury?" he asked.

"I suppose so. Someone somewhere up the ladder makes the call, and it gets passed down to me." She shrugged.

"How many others like you are there?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I can't tell you that either."

"Why was Marquis sentenced to your execution, if you can tell me?" He reached out and lifted the glass she had sat down in front of him, and placed a napkin under it before setting it back down.

_Neat freak? It fits. Stiff posture. Limited facial expressions. Or is that just a drell thing? Guess I know what I'm doing on the transport._

"My people believed him to be trading arms to batarian slavers," Jasmine said. "What about whoever hired you?"

"His actions made him responsible for the death of a man's child." His lips tightened ever so slightly.

_He has a soft spot for children. He probably doesn't take contracts against kids then. That's good. I might have played judge, jury, and executioner for that._

"You compared me to something during your call. My translator didn't pick it up well. What was it?" he asked.

Jasmine pressed the back of her hand to her mouth, stifling her amusement at having to explain the slur. "A gecko. It's ah, a reptile. A cute little type of lizard on Earth. Sorry, but you shouldn't have heard that."

"You apologize, yet you are laughing," he said.

She cleared her throat, embarrassment finally sinking in. "Yeah, sorry."

Jasmine got a ping on her omni-tool and opened it. An icon flashed, indicating she had a message from her liaison. They wanted her to stay on the Citadel for another two weeks despite the day's incident. They had another target for her scheduled to arrive at the Citadel on business during that time. They would send her a dossier with the targets itinerary later. In the meantime, they suggested she stay out of sight and notify them of any further complications. Jasmine sent one word back in reply, " _Acknowledged."_ She closed her omni-tool and sighed.

"Is there a problem?" He raised his brows.

"No, just looks like I'm stuck on the Citadel for a while. Glad we had this talk, but I should go. Thanks for the drink." Jasmine slid out of the booth and rubbed her still tender shoulder.

"You didn't drink it," he said.

"You didn't drink it either," she said.

"Ah. I don't often consume alcohol. I prefer to keep my senses sharp." He picked up the glass and swallowed half of the drink before setting it carefully back down on the napkin. "It also tastes terrible."

Jasmine laughed and picked up the glass as a show of goodwill. She knocked back the rest of the fruity cocktail and sat the glass back down just as carefully on the napkin. When she looked back at him he chuckled.

"Did I miss something funny?" she asked.

"Do you know nothing about drell?" He chuckled again.

"Of course I do." She bit her lip. "What?"

"The glass wasn't poisoned until it touched my lips." He slid out of the booth and put his hands behind his back. "We produce a mild hallucinogenic. You'll be fine."

_Damn it! I knew I forgot something._

"You could have told me that before I drank it!" Jasmine's voice raised an octave.

"Yes, I could have," he said.


	3. Aris Medagna

**Aris Medagna**

Jasmine watched the turian from across the café, the rich aroma of half a dozen alien variants of coffee mingled with the sweet spice of baked goods making her mouth water. She'd spent the last four days bored out of her mind as she tracked his movements until a pattern began to emerge. He came to the same café every morning, ordering the dextro-special of the day, and stayed for approximately one hour and forty-five minutes before heading down to his office in C-Sec. Today, he wouldn't make it to his office. The satisfied smile soured on Jasmine's lips as her old friend paranoia began whispering in her ear, filling her mind with doubts to squirm in the back of her skull. This assignment didn't feel right to her, and she couldn't shake the feeling that it meant the end of her short-lived career.

_Why the hell else would they be sending me after Citadel cops now? It's going to cause a political shit storm if I'm caught. I guess they figure it's the easiest way to get rid of me. Less paperwork, no severance pay._

_Christ, Jasmine, just stop. They chose you for a reason, now focus. He's placed his order, there's the server with his meal, time to get into position._

The asari behind the counter sat down a tray. "Number forty-three."

Aris Medagna pushed his chair away from the table, and walked to the counter. Jasmine sat her empty coffee cup down, and left the café. She had an hour and a half to get into position and wait, but already she felt that jittery edge of anticipation welling up inside, making her muscles tense. She wove her way through the crowd, disappearing into a service alcove. Jasmine glanced over her shoulder before opening the door to the maintenance room. A keeper worked silently at a console, oblivious to her presence. She slid around the keeper, careful not to disturb the giant bug remembering how long it took her to wash intestines and slime out of her hair the last time one self-destructed.

_Never want to go through that again._

Jasmine grabbed a rung on the ladder just past the keeper, and climbed to the catwalks. She stood at the top, letting her eyes adjust to the dim light before following the familiar path to her chosen perch. First drawn to the spot because of the view and the proximity to the elevators, Jasmine settled on it because of her own safety. She could exit the catwalks twenty feet away and be in another maintenance area, separated from the inevitable commotion a sudden death would cause by three walls. Jasmine settled in and prepped her sniper rifle. Running her fingers over the grooves she reveled in the feel of the solid metal and the sense of security it brought with it. She focused the scope on Medagna eating his breakfast, lining up a clean shot, but she wanted to wait until he left the café.

_No point in ruining everyone else's breakfast._

More than happy to be back on the job after a month of cool down, Jasmine waited patiently for Medagna to leave, ignoring the uncomfortable way the catwalk's grating dug into her ribs. She spent the night Marquis died sitting on her bed in a rented apartment telling herself over and over again that the walls weren't really breathing, and the skycars flying by her window weren't really giant fish swimming in the sea. She'd never forget the smug look on the drell's face when she drank after him; it still set her teeth on edge. He'd never mentioned her to anyone as far as her current liaison could tell, so she supposed she should forgive him a little pettiness. She had called him a gecko, afterall.

A week and a half later she killed an asari scientist who had deliberately released faulty biotic implants to a human colony on Eden Prime. She finished the job without any complications, and her handler surprised her by telling her to stay on the Citadel until further notice.

Jasmine spent her days sitting in the small apartment streaming old Earth sitcoms over the extranet while running through her exercise routine. In the evenings, she walked around the Citadel, and explored the shops out of boredom, doing her best to stave off that old familiar loneliness. She usually ate out, and sometimes stopped to pass her leftovers to one of the homeless kids on the Citadel. She spent hours exploring the catwalks throughout the Citadel and noting every rapid transit stand she came across, knowing it might just be the thing to save her life one day.

Further notice came a month later by means of a new dossier with Medagna's photograph attached. Medagna liked to get a little too rough with the people he arrested. Over the last six years two asari, one turian, and a whopping twelve humans died while in Medagna's custody. Abuse of power made Jasmine's hackles rise, reminding her of all the dirty cops she'd dealt with when she was a helpless kid on the streets. If his victims had been children, she wouldn't be so patient in ending his miserable life. He'd been investigated by C-Sec Internal Affairs after each incident, and each time pardoned of any wrongdoing. His latest victim was the son of retired Alliance Captain Richard Sanders. Finally someone in the Alliance higher ups decided that Medagna had to be stopped.

When Medagna finished, he stood from his table and waved at the asari behind the counter. Jasmine shifted her weight so she could keep him in her sights, soothing herself with deep breaths colored by the familiar scent of gun oil. He left the café and made his way through the crowd toward the elevators. As he neared, she had to adjust her scope to keep him in focus. About fifteen feet from the elevators, Medagna stopped, and turned his head to the left.

Jasmine followed his line of sight through her scope, her curiosity winning over her need to keep her target in her sight. Her jaw dropped when she spotted the drell from before waiting in the shadows. He waved at the turian cop, and Medagna changed course for the assassin's alcove.

"Like hell." Jasmine let out a low growl, feeling like a lioness that just had its prey poached.

She put the turian back in her crosshairs, lined up the shot and pulled the trigger. The bullet ripped through the soft area exposed at the back of the turian's neck, but it didn't kill him. He dropped to the ground, writhing and twitching as blue blood began to seep to the surface, coating his dark skin and plating.

_Damn it._

Jasmine adjusted her rifle and took a second shot, this one ending the turian's suffering. Swinging her rifle around, she peered through the scope, but the drell had gone. People screamed, and ran in fear down below. Jasmine opened her omni-tool, and took a quick picture of the dead cop before slinging her sniper rifle over her shoulder and fleeing in the opposite direction. Jasmine left the catwalks, her heart racing as she cursed herself. She collapsed the rifle and tucked it away under her jacket, rubbing her sweaty palms on her thighs as she left through a maintenance door. She headed straight for the rapid transit station, and took a cab back to the Bachjret Ward not far from her little apartment.

Jasmine checked to be sure she wasn't followed before entering her apartment complex, but still took a circuitous route to her door. Once inside, she sat down at the table and pushed the empty take out containers aside, with still trembling hands. She'd fucked up, and she knew it. She sat her sniper rifle on the table and took it apart, cleaned it, and put it back together again. The familiar, practiced actions bringing her a sense of order and calm. She locked the rifle away in a case, and slid it back under the bed.

She spent a few minutes staring into the mostly empty refrigeration unit before deciding she'd eat out again. If nothing else it gave her the excuse she was scrambling for to put off contacting her liaison. She needed time to think about this, and she needed to talk to Geoffrey. Jasmine let down her ponytail, and ran a brush through her hair before twisting it into a loose braid. She checked that her pistol and knives were hidden and secure before making her way to _Le Bleu,_ one of the few places on the Citadel that sold food that reminded her of home. Right now she needed home.

Within twenty minutes, a plate of French fries and an iced tea sat in front of Jasmine. They weren't actually French fries, she knew, but some other similarly textured vegetable from God only knew where, but greasy enough that she didn't care. She picked at them as she spoke to Geoffrey on her omni-tool. The last few years had not been kind to him, grayer hair and more obvious creases lined his eyes. Still, his eyes held warmth that made her smile and helped to chase away the last vestiges of anxiety from another botched job.

"I'm just saying you shouldn't tempt fate. You don't know who this guy is, and he sounds dangerous," Geoffrey said.

"Yeah, I get that. But I couldn't let him take another one from me. I'm barely holding on to this job as it is." Jasmine took a sip of her iced tea before shoving another fry in her mouth.

She glanced to the side at a little boy standing with his feet through the metal bars of the short fence marking the restaurant's patio. Dirty, torn clothing hung off him, two sizes too big making Jasmine feel like someone just ripped a bandage off a long forgotten wound. His eyes fixed firmly on Jasmine's French fries.

_Must be another of Mouse's friends. I feed the kid once and next thing I know I've got them flocking to me like strays. But damn it, look at him. He doesn't even have any shoes. Why do I do this to myself?_

"Jasmine, stop. When will you stop doing this to yourself? You know the Alliance doesn't just choose anyone for your job. They wouldn't have placed you there if you didn't show great potential. They're not going to kick you out over this. The Alliance isn't going to let you go that easy and you know it." Geoffrey shook his head resolutely.

"Maybe. Hey, I got to go. There's a hungry little guy eyeing my food," Jasmine said.

Geoffrey chuckled. "You're soft-hearted, you know that? With all the rough edges, you've got a marshmallow center. Don't let go of that. Take care of yourself, Jasmine."

"Yeah, yeah. You too, Geoffrey. I'll call you tomorrow. Tell everyone I said hello." Jasmine pushed the plate in front of the empty chair next to her, and waved the little boy over.

"Will do." Geoffrey ended the call, and Jasmine closed her omni-tool.

The little boy's face lit up as he climbed over the fence, and made a beeline for the plate of fries. Jasmine pushed the chair out for him, and he climbed up next to her, stuffing his face without saying a word. She rubbed at the ache in her chest as she waved the waiter over.

_I remember being that hungry. Poor kid. I wonder when's the last time he ate._

"I'm so sorry, ma'am. I'll get him out of here right away. We'll replace—," the waiter said.

_Asshole. Can't you see the kid's starving? I mean damn, what is he? Six? Seven?_

"Uh, actually he's my date. So, why don't you bring my friend here a Tupari, and me another plate of fries? Oh, and a slice of that pie you have on display in there for both of us." Jasmine raised her eyebrow at the slack-jawed man, daring him to argue.

"Oh, of course. My apologies. Right away, ma'am." The waiter disappeared back into the restaurant.

"What's your name, kid?" Jasmine rested her chin on her palm.

He shoved another fry into his mouth. "Rift. Your name's Jasmine?"

"It is. You have a place to sleep tonight, Rift?" Jasmine asked.

_Please tell me you have somewhere to sleep, because I really can't take you home with me, but I know that if you say you don't, I will._

He nodded his head. "Do you really work for the Alliance? When I grow up, I want to join the Alliance."

"Uhhh, yeah." Jasmine glanced around, unease pressing down on her shoulders knowing that if the kid had heard her, anyone else around might have as well. "What do you want to do in the Alliance?"

"I want to fly the ships. Are you a pilot?" Rift stuffed more fries in his mouth.

_Inquisitive little guy, aren't you?_

Jasmine smiled, relieved that no one seemed to be watching her. "No, I don't get to fly the ships."

"Oh." Rift chewed thoughtfully. "What do you do, then?"

"It's a secret." Jasmine winked at the boy, earning her a toothy grin.

The waiter returned, and sat another plate of fries down in front of Jasmine, along with the two pieces of pie, and a bottle of blue Tupari sports drink in front of Rift. Jasmine returned the waiter's smile to show she held no hard feelings, and he hurried away before she changed her mind.

"Oh." He opened the bottle and took long pulls from the sugary liquid before putting the cap back on. "Was that guy your dad?"

It took Jasmine a moment to realize that he meant Geoffrey, and shook her head regretfully. "No, he's a nice guy who helped me when I was down on my luck. Make sure you keep that bottle when you're finished, you can fill it with water from the bathrooms."

Rift nodded his head. "What's a marshmallow?"

"You don't know what a marshmallow is?! Oh, kid, you're missing out. A marshmallow is this … uh, hmmm, I guess it's like this squishy, sweet treat that melts in your mouth. They're pretty popular on Earth." Jasmine pulled up an image on her omni-tool to show Rift.

"I guess they don't look very impressive, but they taste amazing." She pursed her lips and shrugged at the dubious look the kid gave her.

"Are you from Earth? I've never been there," Rift said.

"Uh, yeah, I grew up there. How're your fries?" Jasmine asked.

_For Christ's sake, Jasmine. You're trained to hold up under torture and interrogation but you're just telling this kid everything?_

"They're the best thing I've had all week." His cheeks reddened. "Um, thank you."

"Sure, no problem, kid. What do you say after you finish your pie I take you to go get some new shoes?" Jasmine fought to keep her tone neutral, knowing that if she over did it or let one 'poor kid' slip his pride would send him packing, even with as young as he was.

* * *

Thane had waited until the Phantom parted ways with Rift before catching up with the boy. She had surprised him again, by not only sharing her food with the child but purchasing him new clothing and shoes. The tenderness she showed the child served as a painful reminder of his own failings in life. Because of him, his wife was now dead, and he would likely never see his son again. He reminded himself that it was better for Kolyat, safer for him to live with his aunts and uncles and then pushed the child from his mind before the memories could consume him.

She had waited for him outside of the restroom, when he returned to her side, Thane barely recognized Rift. He had washed himself before putting on his new clothes. Rift seemed very pleased, but the Phantom looked at him with unmistakable sadness in her eyes, even as she smiled back at him. She crouched in front of Rift and brushed his hair out of his face, her eyes told Thane that whatever she said to him carried significant weight for her. Rift wrapped his arms around her neck, and she returned his embrace.

Mouse had hugged him once, grateful for the trinkets and attention Thane gave him. Attention Thane couldn't even bring himself to give to his own son. His body had grown rigid at the boys touch, his arms refusing to return the child's embrace. Mouse had never hugged him again. He watched the Phantom wipe at her eyes as she walked away, surprised by the momentary flicker of envy that passed through his battle sleep where only pain had been able to penetrate before, and then, only because he welcomed it, his own form of penance.

Rift seemed reluctant to inform on his new friend, but Thane easily persuaded him with more credits. Thane listened as the boy excitedly told him about how nice the woman named Jasmine had been, and provided the details of what he'd learned. Several times Rift veered off topic talking about something called marshmallows and questioning how people can be made of candy. The nonsensical questions confused Thane, and he had to use gentle reminders, asking very specific questions to get the boy back on track. He didn't mind, he was a patient man well trained in his craft. He was amazed by Jasmine's naiveté; she had even told the boy where she lived while on the Citadel.

Thane now stood in her apartment. The sounds of water falling mixed with Jasmine's singing filled the small studio. _Her voice is not displeasing_. He closed his eyes and let the sound wash over him, stirring up memories of Irikah singing to their son, allowing himself a brief moment to be punished by the reminder of the pain his arrogance had caused his family. Thane took a deep, cleansing breath and let the memories go before they became too intense to hold at bay.

He stood with his hands behind his back, letting his eyes roam over the sparsely furnished, undecorated room. He had stayed in these same apartments on occasion, renting one of the furnished rooms when too exhausted to continue his hunt. He would stay for a week, no more than two, while he gathered information on the cowards who killed his wife in retribution for lives he had ended on contract. One of only a few safe places to rent on the Citadel for someone in his profession, the apartments were designed for those on business, and not for permanent residence. With revolving tenants, there was little need to worry about neighbors becoming interested in who he was or what he did for a living. He imagined Jasmine had been drawn there for the same reasons.

Food containers spilling out of the trash receptacle and dirty clothes tossed into a corner seemed to be the only personal touches Jasmine had added, which was more than he ever had. Stale odors assaulted his nose, and the general disarray that surrounded him made his fingers twitch, wanting to set things right. Thane liked order, cleanliness, and efficiency. It was one of the reasons he prefered to use his hands to take lives, to control the situation and minimize chaos like Jasmine had caused spilling blood openly in the middle of the Citadel. Granted that was not always a viable option. He had spilled more blood than most would ever dare to think about, he'd caused chaos and left crowds to flee in panic using them to slip away unnoticed.

Thane crossed the floor and slid open the top dresser drawer. Shoving aside unkempt clothing, he felt for anything that might be hidden inside. Finding nothing of interest, he moved on to the next. He stopped when his fingers brushed the edges of something paper, carefully pulling it free from the tangled mass of clothing.

Thane swallowed against the thick knot forming in his throat when he saw that it was a child's drawing folded in half. Memories filled his mind of Kolyat, hunched over the kitchen table with scraps of paper, and drafting pencils Thane had brought home from his construction job, drawing the oceans of Kahje and the hanar moving through the water. Perhaps if he had stayed in construction instead of returning to work as a freelance assassin, his wife would still be alive and his son wouldn't hate him. Thane acknowledged the pain, savoring it like a lovers kiss for a moment, and then simply let it go allowing the void to swallow him once more.

He smoothed out the paper, and held it tilted toward the lamp. Six stick-figure humans decorated the page, labeled in the uncoordinated script of a child as, " _Mommy, Daddy, Jessica, Angela, Me, and You."_ In the background skycars flew by a city skyline, and two small, furry creatures chased each other in the grass. He turned the paper in his hand and saw nice, crisp lettering on the back, " _To Jasmine Shepard from Samantha Williams. Age 5. 2172."_ Thane slipped the piece of art back into the drawer, pulling clothes over it until it was well hidden. Some small part of him wished he could forget ever having seen it himself.

_She shouldn't keep this. In the wrong hands, it makes them targets. I grew complacent and Irikah paid the price._

When he found nothing of interest in the other two drawers he moved on to the night stand. Noting the bottle of sleeping pills, he wondered if perhaps she was already haunted by the memories of someone she'd lost. In the quiet of night his ghost troubled him the most. A pistol and an assortment of knives were tucked away in the drawer. Kneeling on the floor, he lifted the edge of the blanket and slid a gun case from beneath the bed, popping the latches. He looked over the sniper rifle, taking in the fresh smell of gun oil before closing the case and putting it back where he found it.

_She can't be bothered to take out her trash, but takes immaculate care of her rifle?_

Thane moved to the kitchen area. Her refrigerator housed only half a bottle of rum and more take out containers. The cabinets had little else to reveal. The sounds of the shower stopped, Jasmine's singing becoming more distinct. Thane pulled out a chair, and sat facing the bathroom door. A few moments later the door opened, and steam billowed out carrying with it the refreshing, tart scent of citrus.

Jasmine faced away from him, looking at what he assumed to be a mirror. His brow twitched when he saw that she wore nothing but a tank top and undergarment leaving little to the imagination. He averted his gaze, instead focusing on the movements of her hands as she brushed through her damp hair. Troubled by her lack of observation he gently cleared his throat. She turned her head, her hand freezing with the brush an inch from her head. Her eyes locked on to his.

_Hello, Jasmine Shepard._

Jasmine glanced at something on the counter outside of Thane's line of sight. Her lips pinched tight as she resumed brushing her hair. Thane didn't speak, and neither did she. He waited her out until she finished with the brush, and sat it down on the counter. Shifting forward, he rested his palms on his knees as she stepped into the threshold, leaning against the doorframe. Her hand stayed hidden and he had no doubts that she had picked up a weapon of one sort or another.

_More knives, perhaps? Or is it another gun?_

"Breaking and entering is a crime," Jasmine said.

_So is killing a C-Sec officer in the middle of the Citadel._

"Indeed," Thane said.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"You succeeded in taking a contract from me," Thane said.

"No, you failed at taking another job from me," Jasmine said. "What, do you expect me to pay you?"

Thane's lips twitched in amusement. "I do not require payment."

_She's fierce of spirit. That's … admirable._

"Well, unless you just stopped by to stare at me in my underwear, would you mind telling me why it is you're in my apartment?" Jasmine asked.

In all his years as an assassin, he'd grown used to seeing people in various states of undress. Having broken the neck of a man with his pants around his ankles while finding his release inside of a prostitute in a dirty ally did little to make someone in Thane's profession flinch at the sight of exposed flesh. He was, however, more used to people attempting to cover themselves when they realized they were not alone.

"I did not. You are welcome to put down your weapon and dress yourself. Though, I do ask that you stay away from the nightstand and bed." Thane waved his hand at the room.

"You went through my things?" Jasmine's gaze never wavered, but the quick flash of a clenched jaw and the subtle tightening of her muscles, preparing to propel her toward the dresser, told Thane where her mind was.

_I—they're safe from me._

Thane didn't bother to answer. Jasmine licked her lips, her gaze running over the room. He knew what she was doing, checking obstacles, noting her escape routes, all the things that he did himself the moment he walked into another room. With the perfect memory of a drell, he needed to do it only once though the process had become second nature.

"I haven't come to harm you but to encourage you to leave the Citadel. Your activities here are drawing notice, making it more difficult for me to maintain my professional reputation." Thane kept his tone light, hoping to not startle her into action they'd both regret.

"You mean, 'leave or else.' That it?" Jasmine narrowed her eyes at Thane.

"Not at all. I ask out of professional courtesy," Thane said.

"I don't get to make that call. You're a freelancer, if it's getting too _difficult_ for you here, why don't you leave?" Jasmine asked.

_Don't be foolish, your stubbornness will cost you more than you want to pay in this profession._

"I will, eventually, when a contract requires me to do so," Thane said.

"What does it matter anyway? Just tell whoever hired you that you shot Officer Medagna," Jasmine said.

Thane chuckled, the idea more than ludicrous to him. "As I said, I have a professional reputation to uphold. Your work is—."

"Yeah, yeah, loud and sloppy. I remember." Jasmine's brows furrowed. "I've only been fucking up because you're there getting in my way. You're ruining _my_ professional reputation."

Thane stood, having said all he intended and Jasmine took a half step back. If she insisted on drawing attention to herself, and by proxy him, it would end in her death not his. He would not be there to pull her out of harm's way again. He tucked his hands behind his back and strolled to the door, turning to face Jasmine as he activated the door's release.

"I think we both know that's not true. Do us both a favor and request a transfer, Ms. Shepard." Thane stepped into the hall, the door sliding closed behind him.

* * *

_Shit. Shit. Shit. Oh man, I am so screwed._

"Do us both a favor and request a transfer, Ms. Shepard." Jasmine scrunched her nose as she mocked the drell's tone.

_Who the hell does he think he is?_

She kept the pistol in her hand as she crossed the room to lock the door, her heart thumping in her chest.

_Not that it's going to keep him out if he comes back. Damn it, I'm going to have to move. Rift! Gods, did he get to Rift? No, no, he wouldn't hurt the kid. Not just to find out where I live. Shit, I've got to stop being so damn soft with these kids. It probably wasn't even Rift. He probably just followed me again._

Jasmine grabbed her robe off of the hook in the bathroom, and slipped it on, fumbling with the belt as she tied it around her waist before pacing the thin strip of floor in front of her bed. She didn't know what made her angrier, the intrusion into her privacy, or the audacity of the man to think that he could tell her to leave.

She stopped in front of her dresser, and opened the second drawer. Pulling out the drawing Samantha gave her before she left to join the Alliance, she turned it over in her hands. Running her fingers over Geoffrey's handwriting, a habit that brought her no comfort, but instead a sinking sense of dread settled into her stomach. It clawed at her insides, urging her to panic, to pack her things and flee. Jasmine clenched her jaw, her teeth grinding as she struggled to maintain her composure.

She looked over the picture, examining it for what clues it might have given him about the Williams family. Seeing the girls' names on display unnerved her far more than seeing her own. It was no small concession that Geoffrey and Karin remained unnamed, they were far easier to track than the children. Still, her gut told her that the drell wouldn't mess with the Williams family; it just didn't seem to be his style. She prayed to God that she was right as she tucked the picture away.

_Maybe I should request a transfer. For their sake. Just in case._

Jasmine folded her arms on the dresser and rested her head on them, taking in slow deep breaths.

_God, I can't believe I'm letting some … some bully chase me away. I never run. No, you know what? I'm not going anywhere. I'm not giving up this apartment and I'm sure as hell not leaving the Citadel if I can help it!_

Jasmine sat down on her bed, and opened her omni-tool. She tapped the message icon and entered the contact information for her liaison from memory, calm washing over her with her resolve. She had been trained to erase every message sent or received from anyone associated with the Phantoms or the Alliance immediately, and since they changed her liaisons regularly, Jasmine had memorized a significant number of extranet addresses over the years.

The only thing consistent about the Phantoms was the assassin's handler. Assigned to a handler at recruitment, they took responsibility for the Phantom's training, and handled any situations that arose in the field. There was a time Jasmine thought Leon, her handler, the love of her life. Now his name left a bitter taste in her mouth. Nothing with Leon went as planned, still he remained her handler, and if she told a liaison that she needed her handler, he would be there.

Jasmine typed in her message, " _Phantom ACH35 requests permission from handler to extend stay at current location until required elsewhere. Intent to make use of network and facilities to continue training, welcomes any assignments for this area."_

With the message sent, Jasmine opened her camera app and erased Medagna's picture. Protocol dictated that it be done immediately after sending her report to her liaison, but Jasmine sometimes had trouble letting go of the reminders of her failure. She needed to see them, she needed to be reminded of what she'd done wrong so she wouldn't do it again. It was the same reason she made herself stop and take a long, hard look whenever she ran across someone strung out on their drug of choice. She wanted to see the wreckage; wanted the reminder that she had once done the same thing to herself. Her fingers hovered over the image of Dr. Easley but Jasmine couldn't bring herself to let go of that one yet. She pursed her lips and closed the app, leaving the image to torment herself with later.

Jasmine paced the floor, wiggling her toes though the lush carpet as she waited for a response. She stopped in the bathroom to stare at her reflection, absently running the brush through her hair again. Jasmine returned to the main room and dug through her dresser, pulling out a pair of jeans. Restless, she tossed them to the bed instead of putting them on and paced some more as her thoughts returned to Rift. What if she was wrong? He could be in danger. She couldn't handle that: kids weren't acceptable collateral damage. She knew going after Rift could draw more attention to herself, but she had to check on him. When her omni-tool finally pinged a half-hour later, she stopped in her tracks and opened the message.

" _Permission granted. Handler inquiry: Do you require assistance?"_

Jasmine grinned and typed out her response. " _Negative. I've got this."_


	4. Dr. Judith Belfast

**Dr. Judith Belfast**

Four days passed, and still Jasmine could find no trace of Rift. She chewed her nails down, ragged to the quick as she searched. She stopped every duct rat she came across, a panicked desperation settling in like a rock in the pit of her stomach as they all gave her evasive answers. They didn't know him, or just didn't know where to find him. Jasmine contemplated trying to bribe the kids, or earning over their trust. She couldn't though, not with the brutal fact that she may have already put Rift in harm's way hanging over her head like a guillotine ready to drop. Bringing more of the wayward children into her life would only put them at risk as well. She wouldn't even risk leaving him a message until she knew he was safe.

Fighting the gnawing sense of failure as it tried to claim her, Jasmine returned to her apartment and retrieved her sniper rifle. Collapsing the rifle, she tucked it away under her jacket and secured her pistol under her shirt at her waist. She needed to get her mind off of Rift before her imagination had him dead in an alley, his insides ripped out and hanging from the rafters. She opened her omni-tool to double check her temporary identification. Being a Phantom, only unofficially associated with the Alliance, she couldn't make use of their facilities without the temporary ID Leon set up for her.

Besides, Leon would be tracking the use of the ID. It'd been four days since approval for her request came in, and he gave her everything she needed, setting her up under the alias Ramona Salazar. If she didn't put Ramona's name to use soon, Leon would show up at the Citadel demanding to know why. She didn't want Leon there. Not wanting her handler to see her playing loose with the rules.

* * *

Thane sat in the middle of the floor, measuring his breathing as he rolled onto all fours. The bare metal floor, warm and smooth, beneath his palms supported his weight as he pushed his feet out behind him. Spreading his legs shoulder width apart, he rested a hand on the small of his back. He took his time, lowering his chest to hover a centimeter above the floor before pushing himself back up just as slow. Savoring the burn in his muscles, already brought near to the point of quivering beneath his weight an hour into his routine, he pushed up once more. He repeated the movement ten times before switching arms.

By the third repetition, his training overrode the pain, against his will. He fought to hold on to it, but he needed something more. He finished his routine and returned to a sitting position, feeling his throat expand, pulling in extra air to cool the blood circulating through his system. Thane ran a hand over the expanse of his bare chest, noting not for the first time the dull ache deep in his lungs. He took solace in what that ache might mean; a slow and painful death awaited him, but refused himself the chance to get confirmation from a doctor. They would want him to seek treatment. Doctors would insist on blood transfusions and organ transplants to prolong his life. They'd hook him to machines and pump him full of drugs to dull the pain.

Thane rested his palms on his knees, the fabric of the straw colored harem pants damp with sweat and venom. He took a deep breath and dove into the memories, the only thing left to him that could reach into that stillness and rattle something loose—give him something to feel.

_Sunlight paints closed eyelids red. Clinging to the last few moments of stillness. Of being next to her. Her breathing quickens. She is awake. The bed shifts. Fragrant spice wafts over me. I smile. "Pretending to be asleep, my love?" Her hand settles on my chest. Breath warm against my neck. I press my hand to hers. Open my eyes. Sun filters through the shades, dancing across her body. Greens. Blues. Reds. Vibrant and rich. Her warmth seeps into me, heating my scales. My Irikah. My beautiful Irikah.  
I touch her face. Fingertips trailing across her scales. It reminds me she is real. What did I ever do to deserve her love? She smiles as my thumb brushes her cheek. She moves, pushing up on her forearm. Leans over me. Shadows spill across my face. Light a halo around her. Full lips brush mine, whisper soft. I catch her. My palm cradling her head, pulling her back to me. Shock gives way to joy in sunset colored eyes._

_She laughs. The chimes of the goddess Arashu ring through her lips. My heart races. Thumping against my ribs. Pulse pounding in my throat. Her eyes turn back to me. "I love you." My thumb brushes her lips. I am transfixed by the supple skin. Tugging, following my touch. "And I you." Her smile shifts. Predatory. Brilliant white teeth flash. Swift, yet gentle. They press into my thumb. Hunger fills her eyes. Breath catches in my throat. Desire, strong and urgent. She is beautiful, and I want her._  
Thane's chin drops, nearly touching his chest before he takes a shuddering breath and presses himself onward, determined to feel his misery to the fullest.  
Rain falls in blinding sheets. Pounds on the roof, washes over the glass. The funeral procession waits on the shore. Bowed heads, vague figures through the water's distortion. They can wait. Death always waits. I need to see where it happened first. I tell myself it's irrational. Won't change anything. Can't bring her back. No one comes back from the dead.

_The door's locked. A blue ribbon of light forbids entry. Indecently bright. Active crime scene. I hack through the security, the door opens. Droplets of rain cling to my clothes. My face. I brush them off. Scrape the mud off on the mat. She hated mud tracked inside. Little light passes through the curtains. Thin rays of bleakness doing nothing to illuminate the dark stains on the walls. The floor. Blood, old and dried. Still, I think I can smell it. Metallic and sharp. Biting at the back of my throat. The furniture shattered glass and broken wood. Twisted bits of metal. Pictures of her and Kolyat litter the floor. None of me. Never any of me.  
A scream fills my throat and is swallowed. She lies there in a puddle of blood. Imagination filling in missing pieces. The details of her last moments. Her last breath whispering across trembling lips. My Irikah's lips. Soft and sweet. Tasting of kala fruit. I shake my head. A sharp breath burns my nose. I open my eyes, forcing myself to look at the broken home. Once a hallowed place now defiled forever. Shattered dreams. Twitching fingers clench into fists. I want to rage. Scream and break things. Anything that dared to remain unbroken while she lay here dying. My arms ache with the force it takes to restrain myself._

_So much blood. Thick splashes trailing from wall to floor. Soaked into the couch. The carpet. Outlining where she fell. She died laying on her side. Just as she always slept. They say the dead often look like they're sleeping. My lip lifts in a sneer. Disgusted with my own idle thoughts.  
Tears burn like acid, stinging my eyes. I savor the pain. Refuse to blink. To let them fall. Something catches my eye. A smear in the blood. Low to the floor. I crouch in front of it. A handprint. Her handprint. Dragged through her own blood. The tears come now. Sliding down my face wet and hot. Curving over my cheek to rest on my lips. I lick them away, unthinking. Salt on my tongue. My body is heavy. I collapse to my knees. Shoulders sagging. Pain lances through my chest. I press my face to the wall. Smooth and cold against my skin. "I—I'm sorry, Irikah." The words catch in my throat._

He clenched his jaw, breathing deeply through his nose. His fingers fisted around the fabric beneath them as his body trembled.

 _I don't know how much time has passed. It's darker now. Shadows surround me. The tears have run dry. I don't move. There is no point. There is movement outside the door. Have they come to kill me, now? I consider staying there. Allowing myself to be slain. It's what I deserve. Will she welcome me across the sea?_ _  
The door starts to open. I rise to my feet. Ready to face my fate. It's only Rone. The pity in his eyes makes me cringe. Eyes so unlike her's. Reserved. Lacking the warmth hers held. The resemblance is there. The curve of his cheek. The dip of his lips. I never noticed before. Noticing now sends fresh pangs of guilt through me.  
_ " _We have been waiting for you, Thane." He clears his throat and looks away. "Kolyat … Kolyat needs to say goodbye to his mother." Fury sweeps through me. Hot and demanding. I clench my fists. Who is he to tell me what my son needs? Does he know I could end his life with a flick of my wrist? Of course not. I lower my eyes. He is right. Kolyat needs to put his mother to rest. It's not him that I'm angry with. He's a good man. He'll be a better father to my son than I ever was. I remind myself that even as I lost my wife, Rone lost his sister. "Of course," I say, my voice cracking. My throat raw._

_I move to leave. His hand darts out, stopping me. "You have—You have blood on your face," he says. I'm confused. I have no injuries. I touch my face. Fingertips come away dark and sticky. I glance at the wall. The handprint no longer discernable. Washed away by my tears. Smeared by my face. With Amonkira's blessing, I will not rest until those responsible are dead._

_I push past Rone and out the door. "Thane, your face." I turn my face to the torrent. "Let the rain take care of it."_

Thane curled forward, pressing his forehead to the floor. The agony ripped through him with claws sharper than any beast. Finally, he was left with no choice but to succumb.

_Finally._

* * *

His omni-tool pinged, and he glanced at the flashing light only briefly before returning his gaze to the Presidium stretched out before him. Thane didn't go to the Presidium often, he prefered the wards where wary people kept their eyes to themselves, hoping to avoid conflict. His eyes roamed the pond and expansive gardens, pausing to take in a sculpture of a relay. The Presidium was certainly more aesthetically pleasing than the wards. He breathed deeply, taking in the almost sterile scent of the upper class. Lingering traces of a woman's perfume mixed with the clean scent of freshly pressed clothing.

Restlessness set in. Twelve days since Medagna's unfortunate end at Jasmine's rushed execution, and no one reached out to him for work since. He knew that twelve days was inconsequential. Longer stretches occurred between jobs many times before, but never had he been forced to return to an employer empty handed. It still left a bitter taste in his mouth to admit to his employer that someone else beat him to the target.

Perhaps his unease came from knowing that despite his best efforts to peacefully convince Jasmine to leave, the obstinate woman remained on the Citadel. There were other assassins in play on the Citadel. He knew a few of them personally, but none of them ever insisted on putting themselves in his way. Then again, none of them were ever sent after the same target as he, either.

He considered leaving the Citadel. He could find work anywhere in the galaxy. He needn't waste his time and further risk his professional reputation on the chance that the clumsy human might interfere with another contract. The Citadel was a big place, though, and they were unlikely to cross paths again unless he sought her out. He would stay, he decided, at least long enough to make it clear to prospective employers that he remained the best at what he did. Thane refused to acknowledge the voice that whispered in the back of his mind, telling him that he didn't want to leave because Jasmine would think it meant she'd won.

He turned, stepping back into the shadows and opened his omni-tool. A message from Mouse telling him that Jasmine asked about Rift again. " _I think she's worried about him,"_ the last line read. Thane paid Rift extra to avoid contact with Jasmine until she left the Citadel, when he still thought he could convince her to leave. How wrong he had been.

He knew eventually the child would seek her out if she continued to stay. He read the last line once more. Something akin to diluted regret pulled at the corners of his mind. Perhaps he should tell Rift to go to her, ease her mind. He pushed the thought away.

_No, it's best to avoid her completely. The less I interfere, the less of her I'll see._

About to close his omni-tool, he paused when another message popped up. This one from a repeat employer inquiring if his services were still available. Thane felt the restlessness slip away as he responded in the affirmative.

* * *

Jasmine's eyes flew open, her heart thudding against her ribcage, her hand already reaching for her pistol. Memories of being in an abandoned apartment complex, alone in the middle of the night while drunkards stumbled around outside looking for a way in pushed against her mind. She stilled herself, forcing her breathing to slow as she strained to listen for the sound that woke her. There it was again, a quiet knock on her door.

She slid the covers away and sat up, picking her pistol up from the nightstand as she stood. She grabbed her robe off of the chair on her way to the door, toppling the chair as the robe caught on the back. She threw her hand out, catching it before it clattered across the floor. Moving her pistol between hands, she slipped the robe on and knotted the belt. Three weeks of training day in and day out, and her muscles still protested with every movement.

Jasmine activated the vid screen for the security camera she installed outside her door. The screen showed nothing. Jasmine's hackles raised, and she adjusted her grip on her pistol. She caught a hint of movement at the very bottom of the screen and held her breath, clinging to the hope that bubbled up inside of her. She hit a button, and the camera panned down.

_Rift! Oh, thank God._

She hit the door's control release, peering down both ends of the hall before stepping back and motioning the boy inside. He stayed in the hall staring at her, his mouth agape; eyes wide and red. She frowned, confused by his expression, making her feel like she just kicked his puppy or something. Jasmine realized she still had her pistol in her grip and snorted. She put the safety back on before dropping it into the pocket of her robe.

"It's alright, it's gone now. See?" Jasmine held her hand out, inviting him in again. "I've been looking all over for you, kid."

Rift hesitated a moment longer, fresh tears welling up in his eyes explaining the redness. Jasmine looked around the hall again before crouching down in front of him, ignoring the burning rage of her quadriceps. She steadied herself with fingertips pressed to the doorframe, fighting off the vertigo brought on by her sleeping pills. She should definitely not be awake yet.

"Rift? Hey, what's wrong? Is someone after you? Are you hurt? What happened?" Jasmine didn't care that she didn't give him time to answer one question before asking another. She only cared that he was alive, and in front of her.

Rift flung himself on Jasmine, nearly knocking her backwards. His breath rushed out of him in a ragged sob as he buried his face in her neck. Jasmine's body stiffened at the sudden unexpected contact, her breath catching in her throat. She recovered quickly, wrapping her arms around his back and cooing softly in his ear.

_Jesus, what happened kid?_

A couple of minutes later, she had him calmed enough to let her stand. Her thighs and calves screamed at her in protest as she rose to her feet, pulling him in clear of the door so it could close behind him. She led him to the little table and cleared a spot for him to sit down before getting him a glass of water. Jasmine checked to make sure that she locked the door before sitting down across from him, tucking her robe in around her so she didn't traumatize the kid any further.

Rift sipped at the water in between sniffles, wiping his nose on his sleeve until Jasmine fetched him a tissue out of the bathroom. She studied him intently, her eyes searching for any hint of bruising or lacerations. All she found was dirt and grime. Although they were in desperate need of a washing, it filled Jasmine with pride to see that he still wore the outfit she bought him nearly a month ago. She gave him a moment longer to collect himself, but after a time she realized she needed to be the one to speak first.

"Rift? What happened?" Jasmine leaned forward, folding her arms on the table.

"I told him." His whisper was so soft she wasn't completely sure she'd heard him at all.

"You told who what?" Her heart sank as the answer came readily to her mind.

"Sere Krios. I told him all about you." Rift kept his eyes on the glass of water sitting in front of him as he spoke. "I didn't know, Jasmine! I didn't know when he asked me to talk to you that he was gonna make you leave! I didn't know, I promise."

Jasmine took a steadying breath, excitement rushing through her veins better than a hit of red sand. "The as—The drell? That's his name? Sere?"

Rift shook his head, wiping his nose on the tissue. "No, I think it means something like 'mister'. I don't know what his first name is, he never told me. But his last name is Krios."

Jasmine licked her lips, contemplating the delicate situation. She needed to reassure Rift, but she also needed as much information about Krios as she could get. "And he asked you to talk to me?"

Rift nodded. She waited for him to say more, but he only sipped his water.

"Does he ask you to talk to a lot of people?" Jasmine pressed, keeping her voice low and soothing.

"Only sometimes. Sometimes he asks me to do other things, like take something somewhere. Or asks if I know someone. Twice he paid me to follow someone, but I had to be real careful not to be seen." Rift risked a glance at Jasmine, and she smiled.

_He pays him. Sonofabitch. He's using street kids to do his legwork. I—I can't even be mad … that's actually incredibly smart. Risky, but smart. I would have killed for a gig like that back on Earth. Shit, what am I saying? This crap could get Rift killed. He's just a kid._

"What uh, what did he want to know about me?" Jasmine asked.

His shoulders sagged, and he looked back down at his water. "Whatever I could find out. I told him your name, and that you worked for the Alliance doing secret stuff." He let out another unexpected sob. "I even told him where you live. I'm sorry, Jasmine. I didn't know. I don't want you to leave."

_Alliance. From Earth. Geoffrey's name. What else? What else? That's it, isn't it?_

"Hey, hey, hey. It's OK. I'm not leaving, not anytime soon." Jasmine reached across the table, putting a hand on his forearm, and giving it a little squeeze.

"You're not? But Sere Krios said he asked you to go. He said you'd be leaving soon, and he asked me not to talk to you again while you were here." The words spilled out of him, slurring together in his excitement, but Jasmine kept up. "He paid me extra, and I tried really hard, but then Mouse said you were asking 'bout me, and I … I'm gonna give him his money back. I spent it all already, but I can get more, and I'm gonna give it all back because I don't want you to leave." Rift's voice shook, on the verge of breaking down again.

"Rift, are you scared of Sere Krios? He's never hurt you or threatened you has he?" Jasmine still didn't want to think that the assassin would hurt a child, but she had to ask. She needed to know, because she'd kill him herself if Rift said Krios hurt him.

_Or die trying._

Rift shook his head adamantly. "No, Sere Krios is very nice to me."

Jasmine let out a relieved sigh, sitting back in her chair. "Keep your money, Rift. You earned it. If Sere Krios doesn't like it, tell him to come talk to me." She thought about it for a moment, mulling the idea over. "I'd like to talk to him. Do you know where he's at?"

He shook his head again and shrugged his shoulders. "He always finds me when he needs something. Mouse might know, or Talak, or Mila."

_Christ, how many kids is he using like this? At least Mouse is old enough to look after himself._

Jasmine opened her omni-tool to check the time, wincing when it showed her zero three thirty-one hours. "It's late, Rift. Do you need to crash here?"

"Mouse has us a place. If he wakes up and I'm gone, he's gonna worry." Rift slid down from the chair. "So, you're not mad at me?"

Jasmine smiled and shook her head. "I'm not mad at you." She got up, following him to the door.

Rift threw his arms around her waist, and she ruffled his oily hair before sending him out the door and locking it behind him. She bounced on the balls of her feet as a giddy smile broke through her calm façade. A name—half a name, but still a name. It was a start. Jasmine knew that she could have pressed Rift for more information, but she didn't want to risk breaking the boy's fragile trust. She had time, and Rift would come to see her again. She'd bet her life on it.

She sat her pistol back on her nightstand. Jasmine washed the residue left by Rift's hair from her hands at the kitchen sink before stripping off her robe and climbing back into bed. A dirty house didn't bother her in the slightest, but she couldn't stand feeling dirty herself. It reminded her of her time on the streets, having to go weeks and even months at a time with nothing but a sponge bath in a public restroom. Strangers coming in while she was half-undressed and looking down their noses at her. She pulled her covers up, tucking them beneath her arms and closed her eyes. No, as long as she had the choice, she would be clean. A moment later she flipped to her side and shoved an arm under her pillow. Before long, she rolled to the other side and let out a frustrated sigh.

"Damn it." Jasmine sat up and opened her omni-tool, squinting her eyes against the sudden glare she opened a search engine, typing in, " _Drell assassin Crios."_

* * *

Jasmine rubbed her dry, burning eyes with her knuckles and reached for her coffee. After an hour of searching and finding nothing, she switched to her laptop and changed the spelling of the name to 'Krios'. Finally she struck gold, not exactly the gold she went looking for, but it was something. Maybe closer to pyrite, but there must be a few nuggets of the real stuff buried in there somewhere.

_Either way, it's all I've got._

She tried not to think too hard on the fact that she was seriously digging through a cheeky conspiracy website called ' _Assassins Unveiled'_ at zero six hundred hours, after only four hours of sleep. Grainy images, obviously dubbed vids, and a forum filled with everything from the 'laughably bizarre' to the 'this is a little too close to the truth for comfort'.

She squinted her eyes at a grainy, out of focus image. It definitely looked like a drell, but with the wrong build and coloration. She kept scrolling until she saw a thread titled ' _The One-Hour Massacre on Omega'_. She quirked an eyebrow and opened the thread, rubbing her eyes again.

_It's him. Christ, it's really him._

She recognized the image embedded in the thread. The terrible quality and unflattering angle made it questionable, but she felt certain it was the same asshole who stole her job and broke into her house.

" _Five batarians tortured and killed within the span of an hour on Omega. Two were found dead at the first location, their eyes gouged out, limbs broken, and several non-fatal wounds to their torsos and faces. A third batarian found in a similar condition as the first two a district away. The fourth found dragged inside a ventilation shaft, his fingers and legs broken along with his neck. The final victim found by following a blood trail to his residence, identified as Forlan Dal'hes, a known leader in the slave trade. Dal'hes was found with identical wounds, the accumulation of those given to the other batarians."_

" _This image taken during the One-Hour Massacre, and he is believed to be the person responsible for these deaths. I believe that it is the same assassin that has sparked so much interest in the past. The mysterious drell who seems to go out of his way to avoid civilian casualties, going so far as to knock them out and drag them away from the scene of his future execution."_

Jasmine swallowed hard, scrolling down to read the comments. It didn't sound like his work to her. He was controlled and methodical. This just sounded horrific.

" _No way, can't be the same guy. His work is always neat, clean. He rarely leaves blood behind. This thing—*shakes head*—this thing's a mess. A vendetta. Not the work of a badass assassin. This was something personal. Suppose it could've been a merc or a hitman paid to send a message."_

" _I heard he left Dal'hes' heart pinned to the wall with a dagger made of obsidian."_

" _You're an idiot, obsidian is brittle as fuck. That shit would shatter all over the place, no way would it stick in a wall."_

" _I thought they were turians, not batarians?"_

" _The real question you should all be asking is who IS this assassin, and WHO hired him to kill these people."_

" _His name is Thane Krios."_

" _He's a drell right? The drell all work for the hanar or something, so obviously the hanar are the one's we should be looking at."_

Jasmine stopped and scrolled back up, blinking her weary eyes. "His name is Thane Krios." She lifted her mug to her lips, frowning when she found it empty. "It can't be that simple."

She clicked on the link for the username ' _I'llNeverTell360'_ and opened a private message. " _Why do you think his name is Thane Krios?"_

A warning popped up on her screen. " _You must be logged in to send a private message. Would you like to login now or create a user account?"_

"Damn it." Jasmine bit her lip, groaning.

She finished the incredibly detailed registration process making up the requested information as she went, including creating a new extranet address. Frustrated at the waste of time, she chose the name ' _TellMeNow360'_ , using it to send her message." _Why do you think his name is Thane Krios?"_

She returned to the main page and resumed her scrolling. Laughing occasionally, and shaking her head in dismay at some of the crap people posted. ' _Batarian Assassin Spotted With His Elcor Lover'_. ' _Were the Citadel Councilors Once Assassins?'_. ' _Turian Hierarchy Trains All Turians to be Assassins'_. ' _Are Spectres Really Just Legal Assassins?'_. ' _Asari Assassin Planning to Take Over Illium'_.

Jasmine stopped, her blood turning to ice in her veins when she saw a picture of herself.

_No._

She stared at it for five minutes, frozen by the implications.

_Sonofabitch. Shit. Shit. Shit._

Jasmine clicked on the picture and read the caption, " _Human female seen leaving the scene immediately after the assassination of Dr. Judith Belfast. Dr. Belfast was killed in the streets of Atlanta, and while all others nearby flee in terror or move in to help the doctor, this mysterious woman walks calmly away without even a second glance in Dr. Belfast's direction."_

Jasmine snorted, scratching at the invisible insects crawling up her arms as she denied what was in front of her. "Lucky. That's it, you got lucky."

She wrestled with the idea of reporting it to her liaison. If the picture had popped up anywhere else, she wouldn't bat an eye. It was a poor shot, showing her profile only. Taken at a distance, it could have been anyone really. She didn't think that anyone would recognize it as her unless she was standing right next to the image. Nothing about the picture itself implicated her; no weapon poking out of her jacket, no blood on her hands. She told herself to close the thread and forget about it, but instead found herself browsing the comments.

" _Yeah, but Dr. Belfast was charged with committing acts of illegal research, using living specimens bought from slavers. She only got off on the charges because the rich hag had a good lawyer. Don't you think she kinda deserved what she got?"_

"Yes, yes, I do." Jasmine looked at her empty coffee mug again before finally getting up to get a refill.

" _Why can't anyone on this site ever post a clear fucking picture of anything?!"_

"Thank God they can't." She blew over the top of the steaming liquid, inhaling the rich scent, feeling it wash away the nagging doubt.

" _IKR? I mean look at her, she looks hot as fuck. I want to see a close up of that rack!"_

Jasmine spit coffee out all over the table and laptop. "Shit!" She hurried to the bathroom, grabbing a towel to mop it up, shutting down the laptop before the coffee could soak in and fry the live circuitry. She laid the towel out on the table and flipped the laptop upside down, hoping that any moisture inside would make its way back out.

Jasmine made her way back to the bathroom, stripping off her tank top and underwear to join the growing pile of laundry on the bathroom floor. She turned on the shower and let her hair down before stepping under the near scalding spray. She told herself she'd go to the range for three hours, and then she'd let herself take a nap. Then, and only then would she see what else she could find on _'Assassins Unveiled'_.


	5. Nela T'Saaran

**Nela T'Saaran**

Jasmine's tank top clung to her like a second skin, cold and clammy enough that goosebumps lifted the hair on her arms. Sticky and itchy, her skin crawled with the need to shower, but she forced herself to concentrate on caring for her rifle first. Her rifle always came first. Jasmine knelt before the opened case on the floor, carefully settling the freshly cleaned weapon into the foam cutout.

Adrenaline spiked through her system when someone knocked at the door, her tired muscles tightening in response preparing for fight or flight. Jasmine whispered a curse and closed the lid, then slid it under her bed. She ran a hand over her comforter, smoothing out the beige fabric and tugging down the corner to conceal the gun case. She eased her pistol off the nightstand as she stood, wincing at even the slight scrape of metal against wood. Rift had stopped by earlier that morning, so she didn't think he'd be back so soon.

She crossed the floor on silent feet, ears straining to hear anything on the other side of the metal door as she activated the security feed. Surprise and determination warred with caution when the screen showed Thane—if that was his name. He kept his face turned away, even as she adjusted the camera to assure herself he was alone.

Jasmine moved to the kitchen table and set her gun down so she could give her apartment a quick once-over. Darting across her studio, she scooped dirty laundry off the floor between the foot of her bed and dresser before running back to the bathroom to toss it inside. She stuffed clean clothes hastily back into half-opened drawers before sliding them closed. She let out a yelp as she caught her finger in one of the drawers, bringing the wounded, throbbing digit to her mouth.

Jasmine hesitated next to the table on her way back to the door, casting a dread-filled glance at the stack of ancient dirty dishes piled in the sink and the overflowing garbage can shoved between the counter and refrigerator. She let out a sigh, there was nothing to be done for either of those things now. Jasmine picked her pistol back up from the table and strolled to the door, squaring her shoulders and brushing damp strands of hair off her face.

Jasmine smirked as she opened the door and peered around the frame. "So you _do_ know how to knock."

"I was told you wished to speak with me." Contorting without revealing himself in full profile to the camera, he met her eyes.

"Yeah, two weeks ago." Jasmine pushed away from the door frame. "Relax, before you hurt something. I'll let you watch me erase it, I promise."

Jasmine took a few steps toward the table. She paused to glance over her shoulder, surprised that he remained outside. She assumed he'd want to get out of sight as quickly as possible; she would've. Her gut twisted sending little flares of warning to tighten her muscles. He blinked, unmoving as he watched her expectantly.

_Christ, he's waiting for me to actually invite him in. What, now all the sudden he's Mr. Manners?_

Jasmine waved her free hand, beckoning him inside. "Come in, please."

Thane dipped his head and stepped over the threshold. "Thank you."

Jasmine snorted softly. She hooked her heel on the leg of the chair, pulling it out for Thane before taking her seat on the opposite side of the table. He stood in the middle of her floor, watching her with infuriating patience.

"I swear to God, if you make me have to _invite_ you before you sit … ." Jasmine tapped the muzzle of her pistol with her finger.

Thane scoffed, his chest rising and falling with his amusement. "Are you always this inhospitable to your guests?" He smiled when Jasmine rolled her eyes. Moving to the chair he brushed the tails of his jacket out behind him and sat. "Very well. You asked for me, here I am. What can I do for you, Ms. Shepard?"

Jasmine sat the pistol on the table before resting her arms on either side. "To start you can drop the 'Ms.'. You dug through my underwear drawer, I hardly think that leaves us on such formal ground."

His eyebrow twitched, though what emotion triggered the response she couldn't tell. He leaned forward, steepling his fingers together on the table's surface. "As you wish. Do you prefer Shepard or Jasmine?"

_I don't know; do you prefer Krios or Thane?_

"Shepard's fine. Nice middle ground." Jasmine lifted her shoulder in a deliberate shrug. "I wanted to talk to you about Rift."

Thane nodded. "I assumed as much."

"I want you to stop using him to do your dirty work." Jasmine kept her voice neutral, letting the words speak for themselves. "It's not safe for a kid his age. You're going to get him killed."

Thane blinked twice, his lips parting just enough to betray his surprise. Jasmine slammed the door on the giddy thrill that tingled through her before her lips could do more than twitch. Finally, she'd gotten to the smug bastard.

"I—This is not what I expected." He turned his hands to the table's surface.

"You expected me to yell at you for sending him to gather information on me?" Jasmine arched an eyebrow. "Or maybe just for convincing the kid to stay away from me, telling him I was leaving?"

"I assure you, Shepard, nothing I ask Rift to do will result in his death." Thane's features remained smooth, giving her nothing to work with.

"How can you be so sure?" She lifted an eyebrow. "What exactly do you ask Rift to do? Other than chat up assassins having lunch?"

Thane showed her his palms before pressing the tips of his fingers back together again. "He was safe with you."

"You don't know that. I could have gotten suspicious enough to hurt the kid." Under normal circumstances, Jasmine would be pleased if someone thought her safe enough for children to talk to. Coming from him, though, it felt like more of an insult.

"You would have spared Marquis' guards. Grown, armed men, known to be aiding Marquis in his endeavors. I hardly think you would have shot an innocent child surrounded by a crowd of civilians." His smile only added to the feeling of condescension.

Her eyes narrowed, and she shook her head. "No … Christ, you were _watching_ him talk to me, weren't you?" Jasmine leaned forward, her voice dropping.

He flashed his palms again. "Of course."

"I still could have hurt him, and it would have been because _you_ put him in danger." Jasmine's jaw clenched, and she fought to bring down the tide of fury before she gave too much away.

"Perhaps," he said.

"Perhaps?" Her eyebrow arched.

"You assume I wasn't prepared to take your life the second it became necessary." Thane smirked, just a small lift at the corner of his mouth.

"Were you?" Thinking he could have her in his crosshairs without her knowing felt like someone dumped ice water over her head. The hairs on the back of her neck rose, making her want to check her six even though he sat right in front of her.

Thane only smiled. The urge to lunge across the table and throttle the drell made her fingers twitch, but she fought it back.

"You are concerned for his safety over yours?" He arched a brow ridge.

"He's a little boy. What is he, seven? He's simply not developmentally equipped to fully grasp when a situation he is in is dangerous." Jasmine danced around the question as smoothly as he dodged hers.

Thane chuckled. "Like accepting food and gifts from strange women?"

"This isn't about me. It's not about Rift talking to me." Jasmine shook her head again. "It's not even about you paying a child to gather information on me, so don't make it about me."

"Now there's an interesting idea. I made a request of you, Shepard, and you refused. Now you're making a request of me." Thane leaned forward, holding Jasmine's gaze. "Are you willing to reconsider my request in exchange for my promise that I'll leave Rift alone?"

Jasmine stared at him in silence, her mouth drying out under the weight of his scrutiny. She really should have seen that one coming. She planned to make him an offer, it just didn't involve her leaving the Citadel. She couldn't put in a request to be moved now even if she wanted to. Leon knew her too well to think she'd given up on her self-prescribed extra training so soon.

Jasmine leaned back in her chair, forcing confidence into her voice she didn't really feel. "I have something else I think will interest you more."

He stood from the chair, smoothing his hands down his jacket before tucking them behind his back. "If you'll kindly erase your video recordings of my arrival, I am certain I can avoid any cameras as I leave." He turned and walked toward the door, exposing his back to her. "A wise addition, I commend you."

Turning his back on her felt like an insult. "If you're really worried about my cameras, you might want to sit back down and listen to what I have to offer." She paused when he continued to walk away. "There's an old Earth saying: A picture's worth a thousand words. I only needed two of them: Thane Krios."

She didn't flinch when he spun on her, his pistol out and leveled at her head. Brilliant blue-white biotic energy swirled around his other palm. Even though she expected his reaction, and she managed to keep her face calm, her heart stuttered before picking up speed as if it were trying to burst out of her chest. Everything in her body screamed at her to take action, insisting she put down the threat.

Jasmine kept her breathing slow and steady. He wouldn't shoot her, she assured herself, at least not until he had his answers. It was an insane risk for one little boy, but she had to try. It would be an insult to everything Geoffrey and his family gave her if she didn't.

"The _drala'fa_ couldn't have given you that much." His hands remained steady, his tone demanding answers as he stared her down. "You spoke to someone about me, shared my image with them. Who?"

_What the hell is the drala'fa?_

"Give me your word you'll leave Rift alone, and I'll share my source. It isn't really asking much, if you think about it. I know he's not the only street kid you pay to do your dirty work." Jasmine stood, keeping her palms on the table and her eyes on his. "You asked if I value his safety over mine. I guess this is your answer."

Bemusement flickered across his face before disappearing just as swiftly. "You'd rather I kill you than leave the Citadel? You'll die for him but you won't leave for him?"

"If I'm not here, how will I know if you've kept your word?" Her lips pressed into a thin line of determination. "Besides, I have plans here, and I don't respond well to bullies. Do we have a deal or not, Krios?"

They stared at each other in tense silence, the seconds passing by painfully slow. Jasmine was ready to throw herself to the side at the slightest twitch. She might not get out of the way in time, but if he missed just one shot, she'd have a chance.

His lips parted, the word escaping him barely above the sound of a whisper. "Yes."

Jasmine let the breath she only just realized she'd been holding seep out through her nose. "I have your word?"

"You have my word." Thane lowered the pistol and let his biotics fade away.

Jasmine moved slowly, not wanting to push him into action. She retrieved her laptop from her bed before carrying it back to the table, gesturing at the chair. Thane sat down, leaving his hand on his pistol as he rested it on the table.

She opened the laptop and hit the power button, her eyes going to him over the top of the lid. "I didn't share your picture with anyone. I haven't taken another since Marquis' office. Someone else has a picture of you though, and they've posted it on the extranet." She ran her fingers over the keys as she spoke, typing in the address for ' _Assassins Unveiled'_. "I didn't expect to find anything legitimate there. It's surprising how much carried the ring of truth."

Jasmine scrolled down the list until she found the thread containing Thane's image. She opened it and slid the laptop toward him. "' _The One-Hour Massacre on Omega'_."

Something too brief for Jasmine to pinpoint flickered across his face. His hand moved to the laptop, his eyes moving over the screen. Jasmine leaned back against her chair, crossing her arms lightly over her chest as she watched him. A few silent moments later, he scrolled down. Jasmine waited for whatever emotion ghosted across his face to show again, but his features remained smooth and calm.

Restlessness set in, and she pushed away from the table, catching the way his eyes jerked to her. "I'm thirsty." Jasmine crossed over to the kitchen sink, feeling him watch her as she moved.

_What's the matter, Krios? Not so sure of me now, are you?_

She opened the cabinet and took down two glasses, glancing over her shoulder. "Ice water?"

"No, I'm fine. Thank you."

Jasmine filled them both with ice water anyway. As an afterthought, she grabbed the napkins she'd swiped from _Le Bleu_ on her way back to the table. He still watched her, turning in his seat to keep her in his sights. Jasmine sat her glass down on a napkin in front of her chair before doing the same with his. "In case you change your mind. I'll drink from it first if it makes you feel better."

"I'm going to put this away now." Hovering her hand over her pistol, Jasmine waited for him to nod before moving it to the nightstand. It was little more than a gesture, she had other weapons on her, and she knew he wouldn't think for a second that she had completely disarmed herself. The symbolism of the gesture mattered more than the action, her way of telling him she didn't intend to harm him. When she turned back to him, he holstered his gun as well. Jasmine returned to her seat and picked up her glass, pleased when he did the same. He held her gaze as they both drank before he turned his attention back to the laptop.

He lifted his eyes to hers. "Is there more?"

Jasmine pulled the laptop to her and navigated to her private messages. She opened the correspondence with ' _I'llNeverTell360'_ before pushing the laptop back to him. "You've got a fan, Krios. It's almost endearing."

Jasmine could have lied, but she knew he wouldn't believe her. She hoped the show of transparency would squash any doubts because she didn't plan on showing him all of her cards in one night. Picking up her glass of water, she took another drink as she walked to her dresser. A small smile of satisfaction tugged at the corners of her lips when she felt his eyes on her back again.

_More dangerous than you thought, aren't I?_

Jasmine moved to the foot of the bed, bending to retrieve a laundry basket tucked between it and the wall. She put the basket on the bed and dug around for a clean towel, her hand brushing over the sheathed knife tucked away in the basket. Finding a towel, she pulled it out and tossed it on the bed with her clothes. "You're not reading."

Thane's eyes returned to the screen. "He's asked to meet you."

"He has." Jasmine smirked.

"You refused him?" His eyes were on her again, watching her as she gathered the clothes in a pile with the towel.

"I did." Jasmine thought that would have been obvious, but answered anyway.

"If you believe what this person says, why wouldn't you agree to meet him?" His brow rose. "Clearly you were trying to learn all you could about me."

Jasmine snorted. "You don't spend a lot of time with humans, do you?" She grabbed her glass of water off the dresser and returned to her chair. "He asked me to meet him for drinks. He's not looking to exchange information." The confusion in his eyes brought an easy smile to her face, and she lifted an eyebrow. "Are you really that much of a prude?"

He chuckled. "Ah."

More time passed in silence, Jasmine watching Thane as he continued to read. When he looked up again, he seemed amused. "You told him you saw me on Illium a week ago?"

"Consider it a _professional courtesy_." Jasmine smirked, throwing his words back at him.

Thane turned the laptop back toward Jasmine without asking for more. She was happy to keep her secrets, and now that he had gotten close enough for her laptop to sync with his omni-tool, she would keep his secrets, too. Jasmine closed the lid to the laptop and made her way to the security monitor. Thane followed her, staying too close for comfort, but she did her best to keep her body relaxed and her movements steady.

Jasmine's fingers hovered over the monitor's keys. "Don't suppose you're going to confirm any of it for me?" She smiled when he didn't answer. "That's alright, I can figure it out on my own."

Thane sighed, the sound less annoyed and more weary to Jasmine's ears. "Leave it alone, Shepard. Who I am and what I've done … these aren't useful things for anyone to know."

"Where's the fun in that? Don't forget, Krios. You started this." Jasmine dropped her hand from the monitor and turned to face him fully. "Just one question. Don't answer it if you don't want to."

Thane tucked his hands behind his back and dipped his head.

"The One-Hour Massacre … _was_ it you?"

"I should be going." He turned his attention back to the monitor.

Jasmine took his avoidance as a yes. She thought he'd it clear otherwise with his obsession over his reputation. "Those weren't passionless contract kills." She ran her hands over the monitor, erasing the stored footage of Thane's arrival. She never promised him the backup footage. "I hope they deserved it."

"Indeed." Thane opened the door, pausing long enough to glance over his shoulder at her. "Goodnight, Shepard."

* * *

Thane hurried down the hall, sticking to the shadows and avoiding Jasmine's cameras. He didn't need to think about the apartment complex's cameras, he already knew where they were, and his feet moved him away from them of their own accord. He didn't know where he planned to go, he only knew he wanted away from the complex and the woman inside.

She had rattled him—as much as he loathed admitting it—with her willingness to put herself in danger to save a child she barely knew. Staring him down, defiant to the threat of the gun in his hand, she'd nearly shaken loose the memories of Irikah throwing herself between his targeting laser and his mark. If he had slipped, opened his mouth and let the memories consume him in her presence, he wouldn't have recovered.

He'd underestimated her. She'd found information on him that his contacts had yet to discover; yet to remove. Granted, the majority of it held little more than conjecture, but even conjecture could prove accurate from time to time. He would need to contact Theodus and have the site wiped, but first, he wanted to see what else it held. The way Jasmine had directed him to a specific thread, opened the messages for him, instead of giving him leave to look over the site as he willed, led him to believe there was more there she didn't want him to see.

* * *

Jasmine settled into the chair, freshly showered with a cup of hot coffee and two day old, reheated Chinese. Her laptop sat open in front of her, the right side of the screen filled with the live feed from Thane's omni-tool, motion sickness inducing images of people milling about the Citadel as he wove his way through the crowd. The left side of the screen mostly blank, showing only two messages in Thane's inbox. The first had an attached dossier on an asari named Nela T'Saaran. The second, a message she opened and then remarked as unread, came from Mouse saying he hadn't found anything. The other folders were empty.

Jasmine downloaded the dossier and the sender's extranet address to her laptop. She'd look over it in more detail in the morning, when exhaustion didn't leave her mind in a fog and her body feeling like lead. She skimmed it enough to get the gist. The asari was into some bad business practices, definitely bad enough to land her in prison but not bad enough to get her killed in Jasmine's eyes. She must have pissed off someone with deep pockets.

Jasmine turned her attention back to the live feed, blowing steam away from the coffee mug she held perched in front of her face. "Where are you going, Krios?"

Jasmine watched as Thane slipped into an alley, leaving behind the noise and pressing eyes of the main streets. A few meters in, he turned to face a ladder. Jasmine watched as the view alternated between the back wall above his head, to his face and chest sliding past as he climbed the ladder. His eyes flickered to his omni-tool, giving the impression he looked right at Jasmine. She couldn't keep the hairs from standing up on the back of her neck.

Darkness filled the live feed. Jasmine's fingers ran over the keyboard, bringing up the location tracking map in the lower corner of the screen. The steady movement of the dot the only thing telling her she hadn't lost him. Jasmine leaned back, bending her right knee, she rested her foot on the edge of the chair. The screen remained dark for several long minutes before slowly the area around Thane lightened enough for her to see the stretch of I-beams and ceiling tiles ahead of him.

Jasmine continued to watch with growing boredom as he made his way down another ladder, through three blocks of civilian packed streets, and to a rapid transit stand. Jasmine let out a yawn, setting her cup down on the table so she could stretch her arms out behind her. Her spine cracked as she bent her back over the chair, eliciting a soft moan of pleasure.

Now in the skycar, Thane brought his omni-tool to his face. Jasmine leaned forward, elbows on the table she rested her chin in her palm. The left side of her screen flashed a dialog box asking her if she wished to view current omni-tool activity. Jasmine hit 'yes' and watched as the screen blinked to Thane's omni-tool's main screen.

Jasmine watched as he accessed his inbox and opened Mouse's message. A few seconds later, an empty box popped up and words began appearing on the screen.

" _Thank you, Mouse. I'll pursue other avenues to find what I need."_ A box popped up saying the message had been sent.

_Who's he looking into? T'Saaran? Me?_

The remaining message, empty save the attachment, opened on the screen. The dossier began downloading to the omni-tool. When finished, he deleted all traces of both emails from his omni-tool and opened the dossier.

Jasmine watched the green of his eyes, illuminated by the orange glow of his omni-tool, as they moved back and forth. Her thoughts strayed, her eyes moving to take in the creases where the plates of his face met. She realized she found the symmetry appealing, and then frowning, she pushed the thought away with no intention of evaluating it later. Thane deleted the dossier and closed his omni-tool, dropping his arm and giving her a view of the dashboard.

_Damn, that's got to come in handy; being able to remember everything like that. I'd kill for that._

Jasmine snickered at her own joke as the tracking software told her he entered Zakera Ward. A few minutes later, the skycar landed and he was on the move again. The sounds and sights of the ward filtering through his omni-tool for Jasmine to observe.

Jasmine's eyelids were starting to droop. She finished her now cold leftovers and even colder coffee before taking the laptop with her to bed. She threw back the covers and climbed in, checking that her hoard of weapons were all where they were supposed to be and within easy reach before tucking the blankets in around her waist. She settled the laptop down on her thighs and fluffed the pillows behind her back.

She perked up when Thane used a service entrance to enter an apartment complex. The tracking software showing her the address and name of the complex. She watched, her eyes glued to the screen as he opened a door marked thirty-six.

_Is this your place, Krios?_

The lights came on in the apartment, showing her the pristine, spartan layout. Thane moved to a desk tucked in a corner, the view shifted, dropping lower. From the position, she assumed he'd sat down. The view shifted again, turning sideways, where it stayed for a couple of minutes before moving around again, showing her bits of the desk, the wall, the ceiling and his green scales. When it finally settled, Jasmine could see the top half of an opened laptop as the extranet address for ' _Assassins Unveiled'_ appeared in the search bar.

Jasmine grinned. The angle made it difficult, but she watched as he made his way through the site, starting at the top and working his way down. Sleep won out, and Jasmine dozed off while reading something about an elcor assassin taking contracts on human civilians.

She jerked awake, rubbing her blurry eyes as she tried to focus on the screen. She couldn't make heads or tails out of the comments currently in her line of sight. They didn't seem to be talking about assassins at all, but rather about batarian anatomy. Jasmine blinked and sat the laptop aside, her bladder demanding release. Settling back into the bed after using the bathroom, she picked up the laptop. Her hand froze with it in midair when she saw the blurry image of herself.

_Go ahead, Krios. Read it all. It'll give you nothing of value, I already checked._

The view tilted sideways as she settled the laptop back to her comforter. She began to wonder if he'd fallen asleep at his desk when the picture moved out of sight. He stopped scrolling at the caption. Jasmine didn't bother trying to read it, with the view tilted to the side it'd give her a headache and she already knew what it said.

_Good old Dr. Belfast. Yep, she was one of mine. Good luck making any connection to me other than this one crappy photo and some anonymous twat's speculation._

The page scrolled down to the comments section. The omni-tool picked up a soft chuckle, making Jasmine frown. He scrolled further, and laughed again. This time the comments on the screen were all about Jasmine's attractiveness and the unsurprisingly unimaginative things the skeezbag users wanted to do to her.

_Ouch, Krios. I hope you're laughing at these idiots and not at the idea that someone out there might actually find me attractive enough to want to tie me up and spank me._

Near the end of the page, Jasmine caught sight of a longer comment she hadn't seen before. She twisted her head to the side, trying to make out the script.

" _Hey, I think I know this girl! Yeah, I'm almost certain it's her. Her name's Jazz, well, it's what she went by back in the day. She must have been like 16 the last time I saw her. Man, no way's she's an assassin. She lived on the streets, her parents were dead, and she was so sand fried she couldn't even tie her own shoes half the time. No way did she get her shit together enough to be doing this. Trust me, if Jazz killed anyone, she'd been caught."_

Bile rose up into the back of Jasmine's throat. She swallowed, trying to force it back down before she lost her dinner all over the bed.

_Shit. Who the fuck? Damn it, now I have to report this. Leon's going to be pissed._

"Ah." The sound of Thane's voice coming through her speakers startled her.

_And Krios is buying it. Fantastic._

"But why only Rift?" Thane asked himself.

Jasmine let out a weary sigh. "Because he wants to join the Alliance and fly the ships."

"Unless she intends to bargain for the others later." Thane said.

_Now there's an idea. I might just do that._

Jasmine turned to her side, setting the laptop down on the bed, and snuggling down into her pillows. She continued to watch as threads opened and closed in front of her eyes until sleep won over.


	6. Bon Tonak

Chapter 6: Bon Tonak

Jasmine jerked awake, her heart beating against her ribs, her lungs gasping for breath. She scrambled for her pistol, her eyes desperately searching for the source of the voice that woke her. She scanned past the laptop on her bed beside her before her brain screeched to a halt. She looked back at the laptop, memories of the night before falling into place.

Krios, Jesus Christ. God, what the hell is he doing up so early?

Jasmine sat the pistol back on the nightstand and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Thane's voice filtering through her speakers demanded her attention.

Who are you talking to?

"Her tongue tastes like cinuela. Bittersweet. 'He's still sleeping, my love. Come back to bed with me.'" Thane's voice, heavy and coarse, sent shivers down her spine.

"Oh. My. God." Jasmine closed the lid of the laptop, cutting off the sound of the drell's reminiscing as soon as she realized he'd become lost in the memory.

She was curious about his ability to recall details vividly, and her research told her drell often voiced them aloud when caught in the memory, but listening in on—a warm blush crept up her neck—whatever that was, felt a little too close to voyeurism for Jasmine's comfort. Not that she had anything against people who liked to watch. She'd been known to watch a time or two, but there was nothing covert about those nights. There were some aspects of a person's privacy you just didn't invade—not unless they asked you to.

At least when they aren't even a target.

Jasmine climbed out of bed, tossing the covers haphazardly over the computer and raced to the bathroom, her bladder feeling as big as a grapefruit ready to burst. Sighing in relief as she emptied her bladder, she stripped, kicking her clothes to the corner to start a new laundry pile before turning on the shower. Thane's words echoed in her ears as she stepped under the hot water spray, the bite of the heat easing her aching muscles. She groaned, pushing her head under the shower, trying to wash the sound of his voice away. Instead, she focused on what to tell her liaison.

She put off leaving the shower until her fingers and toes were well wrinkled. Jasmine dried off before wrapping the towel around her hair, twisting the terrycloth and piling it on top. She left the bathroom to dig through her dresser, tossing rejected pieces of her wardrobe over her shoulder. Finally settling on black leggings and a sleeveless, only slightly wrinkled, yellow blouse, she got dressed and shoved the rest of the clothes back in the dresser. Remembering her pinched finger, she paid closer attention as she closed the drawers.

She ditched the towel in the bathroom and grabbed her hairbrush. Stopping back by the bed to unearth her laptop, Jasmine moved to the kitchen table. She took her time brushing her hair, wondering if enough time passed for Thane to move on to something less lascivious.

Jasmine let the brush clatter to the table and sighed. Slowly, she lifted the lid of the laptop, ready to slam it closed again if she heard, or saw, anything graphic. The laptop screen sprung to life, showing her a little bit more than she'd bargained for, but not as much as she feared.

Thane's image reflected back to her from his bathroom mirror. Fists pressed into the countertop as he stared at his reflection, unblinking and nearly as still as death itself. The steady, if shallow, rise and fall of his very bare chest the only sign she wasn't looking at a corpse. Jasmine cleared her throat and tore her eyes from his image, refusing to believe she'd let her eyes linger a second longer than necessary.

I'm not attracted to him. I'm not. I can't be, because I hate him. Okay, maybe hate is a strong word. I just really, really don't like him. He's arrogant, and cold, and he infuriates me … and … and I just don't like him.

She split the screen, opening her browser side by side with Thane's live feed. She typed in the url for 'Assassins Unveiled' and opened her omni-tool while it loaded and started a message to her liaison.

"Phantom ACH35 requesting erasure of personally identifying information located at:"

Jasmine turned her attention back to the laptop, scrolling down to find the thread. She froze, her heart skipping a beat. She couldn't find the thread. Confusion warred with fear, lifting the hairs on the back of her neck.

Where the hell is it?

Jasmine scrolled to the top of the screen and typed the name of the thread into the search bar. The page refreshed, pulling up an error message telling her, "No forum threads were found matching the search results." Her lips turned down, her brow furrowing as she tried her search again to no avail.

Jasmine chewed her lip, tapping her nails on the table. She went back to the main forum page and looked for 'The One-Hour Massacre on Omega' instead, but it had disappeared, too. Her lips puckered, sucking her teeth as her gaze slid back to the drell statue on the left side of her screen.

Did you do this, Sere Krios? Hmm. What's this going to cost me?

* * *

Thane stood over the body of Nela T'Saaran, his hands clasped in front of him, and his head bowed in prayer.

Kalahira, mistress of inscrutable depths, I ask forgiveness. Kalahira, whose waves wear down stone and sand—Kalahira, wash the sins from me. Kalahira, though this one's life was not mine to take, I ask that you not forsake me, and when my time comes, Kalahira set me on the distant shore of the infinite spirit as you will with her.

Dropping his hands to his side, he lifted his head and glanced at the chromatic surface of the machinery in front of him. Curiously pleased she finally decided to stop hiding, he smiled at the reflected image of the persistent woman standing in the shadows behind him.

"You're getting better, Shepard. I only saw you three times on the way here." Thane turned, tucking his hands behind his back. "Why have you followed me? Were you not satisfied with the terms of our agreement?"

Jasmine shifted in the shadows, the whites of her eyes as bright as beacons to him. "Why do you pray for them?"

"I'm—I don't think you followed me here for a discussion on my religious preferences." Thane took a step forward, trying to convey calm with casual movements. The intensity of her gaze itched at the back of his skull reminding him that she was more than she seemed. "If you don't mind, I believe it's best if we move our conversation elsewhere."

Thane's breath caught in his throat when Jasmine turned, the movement throwing her citrus scent into the air. Memories of Irikah picking fruit from the trees outside of their home, Kolyat giggling while he ran circles around his mother's legs, threatened to consume him. He gently cleared his throat, pushing her scent from his nostrils.

Jasmine bolted forward, planting her boot on the edge of a crate she propelled herself at the wall. Her foot made contact with the wall just long enough for the tight muscles to flex beneath the clinging material she clothed herself in, giving her leverage as she sprung forward. His lips twitched as her hand made contact with the half ladder extending from the balcony.

Jasmine pulled herself up, hand over hand until she could reach the rungs with her feet. At the top, she turned to look down at him. Foolish pride blazed in her eyes, challenging him to do better. Many, many years had come and gone since he felt the need to rise to a challenge. He was out of her league, by far, so why did he find himself wanting to best her? He wouldn't rise to this challenge either, he needn't show off his better skill.

Thane waited for her to step back from the edge before moving to stand beneath the ladder. Keeping it simple, he bent his knees and jumped, his denser muscles giving him an advantage over the human. There was no pride to take in a matter of simple biological differences.

Thane climbed up, stepping onto the balcony two meters from Jasmine. Her jaw twitched, a coldness glazing her eyes. It seemed Jasmine didn't agree with his sentiment.

She pivoted and started walking, leading the way across the balcony in relative silence. Thane smiled at her back, amused that he'd so easily gotten under her skin. He followed, curious to see where she would lead him and what path she would take. Confident that should she attempt to strike, he could end her quickly.

Thane fell into the shadows, guarding his step and counting the small sounds echoing back to him from Jasmine. He followed her up the next ladder and across the third floor balcony of the warehouse without question, understanding she meant to exit through the roof. Not the worst choice, but he would have used the connecting catwalk to cross over to the neighboring building, then used the maintenance shafts to enter the keeper tunnels. It would have kept him in seclusion until halfway across the ward.

Thane leapt from rooftop to rooftop, wondering when she would speak and what she would say. Perhaps she'd already decided to bargain for another drala'fa. He stepped up beside her, waiting patiently when she finally came to a stop near the edge of the roof.

She turned to face him, her arms hung loosely at her sides. "You removed it from the website, didn't you?"

He watched her for a moment, looking for signs of what she might be thinking. Heaviness settling onto his shoulders when he saw no sign of gratitude. "Indeed."

"This doesn't change anything for Rift." Jasmine's finger twitched.

The strain in her voice as she said the boy's name dug at Thane in a way he didn't anticipate. "I gave you my word, Shepard."

She breathed deeply, pulling the air in through her nose, speaking on the exhale. "Then why? What's this going to cost me, Krios?"

Thane dropped his eyes from hers, shaking his head. "It was a—."

"Professional courtesy." Jasmine sighed and crossed her arms. "I didn't need you to do that. It would've been taken care of."

Obstinate, insufferable can't you just be grateful and leave me be? What is it you want from me?

"I believe the words you're looking for are 'thank you.'" Thane kept his expression flat.

Jasmine snorted and rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She moved to the edge and grabbed the ladder, climbing down.

Thane moved closer and watched her descent. "You're welcome." He chuckled when she glared up at him.

Thane turned and walked away from the ladder. Leaping to the next rooftop from the side of the building instead, he left Jasmine to go her separate way.

He'd realized something was off that morning and with Theodus' help, found the infiltration. They traced it back to Jasmine's apartment within minutes. Learning the Alliance assassin had been the one to tap into his omni-tool left him conflicted, he wasn't sure whether to be relieved or concerned. Mostly he felt annoyed with himself for letting it happen and taking two days to learn it existed.

He assumed she wanted more information to bargain with, but admitted he'd underestimated her yet again. He'd been foolish not to anticipate such an action, the woman clearly had taken an interest in him. He just wasn't sure to what end.

Until then, he'd thought it something personal she wanted to keep hidden from the Alliance. She lied to her liaison about seeing him, and as far as he could tell she didn't file any other reports on him. At least, no one else ever came looking for him. She invited him, begrudgingly, into her home and offered him drink. Most telling, she made no move against his life, even when he threatened hers.

Now, he couldn't be so sure. Did the Alliance send her after him? If so, Jasmine either did a magnificent job of acting inept to keep him off guard, or the Alliance severely underestimated his capabilities. Either possibility didn't bode well for him. If she attempted to take his life, he'd be forced to kill her. If the Alliance sent one assassin after him and she failed, they'd only send someone more experienced.

With the link traced, Theodus assured him he wasn't being actively monitored and the link could be broken at anytime. Theodus showed him what Jasmine accessed and what she downloaded to her own computer. Most troubling to him, he learned she used the omni-tool to gain live tracking as well as visual and audio. She didn't appear to be recording audio and visual, but did have his coordinates logged every fifteen minutes.

She now knew where he currently lived, but that could be rectified easily enough. He wouldn't have stayed at that particular apartment more than another week at most anyway. What worried him was what she might have heard.

Theodus sent him a log showing the times she activated the live feed. Thane poured over his memories of the previous two days, comparing his movements to the times Jasmine watched him. Uncertain of the exact times he slipped into his memories of Irikah and Kolyat left him with only a rough idea to work with. He spent two hours comparing his time estimates to the log, the air rushing from his lungs when he realized Jasmine terminated the feed either shortly after or just before he spoke of his time with his dead wife. She at least afforded him that privacy, and though he appreciated the consideration, he couldn't understand why.

When he hunted a target, he looked for every scrap he could find. Oftentimes the smallest detail could prove to be the most useful; the one thing to determine his success in the end. Surely his memories would provide her more information than his exercise routine.

Thane asked Theodus to leave the connection in place for the time being, creating a five second delay. Five seconds was all Theodus could give him without it becoming easily detectable. He reversed the feed for Thane, giving him access to her laptop and synced it to his own.

He set his laptop to record constantly so he could watch at his leisure, when she wasn't actively watching him. Theodus set up a silent alert, the simple pulse from the omni-tool cuff wouldn't be transmitted to Jasmine, but would inform Thane when she accessed the feed. By allowing her to watch him, he could, in effect, watch her. It would mean breaking from his routine, keeping his movements orchestrated, his thoughts guarded, but he wanted to give it at least a couple more days to see if he could ferret out what the woman wanted from him.

* * *

"Phantom ACH35, please find attached dossier and respond with acknowledgment of assignment."

Jasmine saved the dossier on her omni-tool before sending her acknowledgement to her liaison. The dossier showed her a volus diplomat, Bon Tonak, scheduled to arrive on the Citadel in the morning. Her shoulders tightened; he'd be staying one day only, so she'd have to move fast. She didn't like fast. She liked moving on her terms, not the clocks.

The dossier included his itinerary, as well as a list of his guards. They offered no explanation as to why the Alliance marked him for death, and though rare, it wasn't unheard of. Whatever his crimes, it must be above her clearance. Jasmine didn't mind, sometimes the less she knew about her target, the easier her job could be.

Still, the Alliance really hadn't given her much to work with, most likely because of the short window of time the op was restricted by. She couldn't deny the way her stomach turned at the idea of going in quite so blind. Jasmine sat down at her table and opened her laptop.

First she would see what she could find about Bon Tonak on the extranet, then she would visit the locations on his itinerary. She'd need to choose a primary and secondary location at the least, with such limited time to work with, she needed to be prepared to miss her chance at one location and make it to the next before him.

Thane's live feed took up the left half of her screen. She frowned despite herself when Mouse's head bobbed into view. "Sere Krios! Look what I found! Cool, huh?" Mouse held up an anti-grav board popular among teens. Groups of them loitered outside of shops in the wards, using the anti-grav boards to do tricks off the shop walls and the rims of planters. "It's a little busted but it still works. Mostly."

Mouse once told Jasmine he thought he was thirteen, but he really couldn't remember for sure anymore. She knew he couldn't be any older than fifteen. Still all gangly limbs, chipped buck teeth, and big ears, he showed very few signs of having started puberty.

He'd been living on the streets of the Citadel since his mother abandoned him at only the age of five. Jasmine, infuriated by the news, asked him what his mother's name was, intent to find the woman herself and make her pay for her crimes, but Mouse only shrugged and said he couldn't remember. Unlike Rift, Mouse seemed fully accustomed to life as a duct rat. He showed wariness and distrust to everyone around, slow to warm up, though fast to take what he could get and then a little more when offered. He hadn't taken to Jasmine as completely as Rift had, only showing up when he needed something. Rift came because he cared for Jasmine, just as she cared for him.

"Ah. 'Cool' indeed. May I?" The feed jumped around as Thane held his hand out for the anti-grav board and turned it over in his hands. Jasmine snickered at hearing Thane use the term 'cool.' She caught a glimpse of two other children near by. They weren't ones she recognized, but their ragged appearance made it painfully clear they were every bit as homeless as Mouse. "If you would like, I can fix this and return it to you tomorrow."

His compassion and act of kindness for Mouse caught Jasmine off guard. Sure, Rift described Thane as nice, but she didn't take it to mean anything more than polite and generous with his payments. This was something different, and wholly unexpected. It made her feel a strange fondness for the drell that she didn't like, so she cut out the warm-fuzzy feeling and shoved it away, daring herself to say 'aw.'

Jasmine cleared her throat and opened her browser as Mouse's excited agreement tugged at her heartstrings. She typed in Bon Tonak's name and found a page on the volus embassies.

* * *

Jasmine grinned and shoved a French fry in her mouth. "I got you something today."

Rift's eyes lit up with excitement. "What is it?!" Bits of half chewed cheeseburger fell from his mouth as he spoke.

Jasmine reached under the table and pulled a box from the shopping bag at her feet. While waiting for Bon Tonak to finish with his meeting and move on to the next location on his itinerary, Jasmine browsed a few of the shops on the Presidium. She chose store locations that would allow her to watch the volus embassy's entrance through the windows. The meeting had been long; three hours and forty-five minutes were slated for it in his schedule. Jasmine couldn't bring herself to sit around doing nothing on the catwalks for that long if she didn't have to.

She hadn't planned on actually buying anything she'd have to lug around with her, but when she saw the model ship display she couldn't resist. Finding it marginally awkward trying to climb a ladder with a bag draped over her wrist, she'd cursed the entire time under her breath. She was pretty sure her shoulder and ribs were now bruised from the sharp edges of the box banging into her as she went.

Seeing that look on Rift's face made it all worthwhile. With a grin wide enough to make her cheeks ache, she held the box up where he could see the picture of the Destiny Ascension. "They didn't have any Alliance ships, but I thought you might like this."

Rift's smile faded, making Jasmine's heart ache . "I don't have anywhere to keep it."

"Well, you can keep it here. I'll make sure it stays safe." Jasmine swallowed against the lump in her throat and the painful squeezing in her chest.

His crooked smile returned full force. The hole from a missing incisor making him picture perfect. Jasmine wished she could take his picture, but it would be a foolish thing for her to keep. She really shouldn't even keep Samantha's drawing, but she couldn't bring herself to leave it behind. Not even after Thane made a point of showing her how vulnerable it made her.

"Will you help me build it?" Rift swung his legs beneath the table as he shoveled more food down his gullet.

"Of course! I'd be delighted." Jasmine winked at him, earning her a giggle.

Jasmine sat the box down in front of him so he could look at it while he ate. She watched him, picking at her fries and sipping her iced tea, soaking in the quiet moment completely content.

Jasmine cleared her throat, drawing Rift's attention and leaned forward. "Do you remember who Geoffrey is?"

"Ummm, yeah, he's your friend. You said he helped you." Rift guzzled his drink, making loud gulping noises.

"That's right. He's coming to visit me in a couple of days, and I'd really like for you to meet him. Would that be okay with you?"

Rift tilted his head to the side, squinting his eyes. "What if he doesn't like me? Lots of people don't like me because I don't got a mom or a dad anymore."

"Those people are idiots. Geoffrey will love you. I promise." Jasmine grinned. "So?"

"Okay. Does he like ships, too?" Rift returned to starting at the box in front of him.

Warmth spread out from her chest. "He sure does."

* * *

"So where is this boy turning you into a proud mom?" Geoffrey smiled and leaned back in the chair, glancing around her apartment. "Though it looks like not even he's been able to get you to clean house."

"Ha, ha, ha." Jasmine holstered her pistol at the small of her back and slipped her jacket on over it. "Don't go there, Geoffrey. We both know I'm not mother material." She reached up, adjusting the ponytail high on her head, using the motion to hide her smile. "He'll meet us there. You ready?"

Jasmine took Geoffrey to Le Bleu, choosing a table out on the patio. A few minutes after the waitress took their drink orders and disappeared in the throng, Rift ran up to the patio's fence with a toothy grin. Jasmine's heart did a funny little pitter-patter in her chest.

Christ. I am a proud mom. But he … he isn't mine to keep.

"Sorry I'm late, Jasmine!" Rift threw a leg over the top of the fence and pulled himself over.

Jasmine put the sole of her combat boot on the seat of the empty chair and pushed it out. "You're right on time." She ruffled his greasy mop of hair as he sat down. "Rift, I'd like you to meet my friend, Geoffrey. Geoffrey, this is Rift."

Jasmine pulled her napkin into her lap, using it to wipe off the residue from Rift's head while Geoffrey made a show of shaking his hand and telling him how good of a climber he was. Rift beamed with pride and dove right into regaling Geoffrey with tales of his great feats of physical prowess. Jasmine leaned back in her chair, content to listen to two of her most favorite people get to know one another.

Something pricked at the edges of Jasmine's consciousness, raising the hairs on the back of her neck and sending her skin crawling with invisible spiders. "Geoffrey, why don't you and Rift go wash up before we eat?"

Geoffrey looked at Jasmine, all hints of his smile fading from his eyes when they met hers, but his lips remained turned up at the corners, his voice light and easy. "I think we can handle that. What do you say, Rift?"

"Jasmine always makes me wash up." Rift hopped down from the chair and moved to take the hand Geoffrey held out to him. "I don't know why. I'm just gonna get dirty again."

Geoffrey chuckled, leading the boy inside. Jasmine leaned forward and propped an elbow on the table, forcing the tension from her neck and shoulders, she rested her chin on her palm. She dropped her other hand to her lap where she could easily reach behind her and grab her pistol. She willed idle boredom into her face and body, letting her eyes scan the crowd.

Colors and shapes becoming more defined, the angles of people's faces sharpened as she focused on the details, looking for minute expressions of aggression or the nervous twitch of someone's eyes trying too hard not to stare. Her ears picking up on snippets of conversations floating through the air around her, she filtered out the inconsequential chatter, straining to hear whispered plotting. She watched the mouths of people speaking, trying to find anyone who appeared to be talking to themselves who might actually be communicating through a comm. The odors of various Earth-style dishes wafted to her nostrils to swirl and mix with every scent of perfume or cologne around her. She took shallow breaths, tasting the scents and looking for anything that shouldn't be there, like the smell of a familiar poison.

No one stood out. An asari caught her eye and winked bringing an unexpected smile to Jasmine's lips. The man at the table across from her strained to see down her shirt, and under normal circumstances she might have been of a mind to give him a show—or an 'accidentally' spilled drink in his lap depending on her mood, but no one exuded malice or seemed more than passively interested in her. It gave her no relief, instead ratcheting up the sense that something was off. Someone, somewhere was watching her, she could feel it as solidly as the jacket draped over her torso. Jasmine turned to look behind her, sitting up straight to see above the heads of those seated inside the restaurant, giving the impression she looked for someone in particular as she scanned the crowd. Again, nothing and no one stood out. Still, her skin crawled.

She spotted Rift weaving his way through the tables, Geoffrey right behind him with a guiding hand on the child's shoulder. Rift saw her and waved. Jasmine forced a smile and waved back. Geoffrey raised a questioning eyebrow at her, and she lifted her shoulder in a slight shrug in response. Just as Jasmine was about to suggest they leave, Geoffrey cut her off with a stern look.

"I wonder if you'd mind trading seats with me, Rift? It's been so long since I've seen Jasmine, I want a good look at her pretty face." Geoffrey held his vacated chair out for Rift who giggled and climbed up.

Jasmine gave Geoffrey a warm smile. She knew damn well his decision had nothing to do with seeing her face and everything to do with showing her he didn't intend to run and hide. Ever since Geoffrey's uncle surrendered Shanxi during the First Contact War, Geoffrey acted as if he had something to prove, as if his bravery were in question. He'd spent long hours telling Jasmine the story of General Williams, and how he believed the Alliance had held him back over the years as a result. Still, his loyalty to the Alliance was unshakeable. It really gave new insight into the night Geoffrey decided to face down three men to save her life. There was more to his choice of changing seats, he wasn't just being brave by staying, but by acting as a shield to her and Rift, for what little good it might do. It also gave him the advantage of being able to watch her six, trusting in her to watch his. Even after all these years, he still made her feel as safe as the warmth of her father's embrace once had.

* * *

Thane stayed in the shadows watching Jasmine as she sat down with the older man. He learned from Mouse that Rift bragged about being invited to have lunch with Jasmine and her friend. He asked Mouse to find out more without upsetting the child. Mouse later told him that Jasmine's friend was the man named Geoffrey from the vid-call Rift spoke of when he first met her. Mouse said Rift was very excited because Jasmine wanted him to meet her at Le Bleu, and they served "the best French fries."

He opened his omni-tool and took a picture of the three of them once Rift joined them. He believed finding the image in his possession would force Jasmine's hand. Perhaps then she would make it clear why she watched him. A full week passed since he'd learned Jasmine tricked him, and still he'd learned little of value. The most notable thing being the research she did on a volus diplomat who later turned up dead, a single shot through the back of the head.

She spent little time in her apartment, with her laptop on, and most of that time she spent watching him and digging through his omni-tool's contents. Sometimes she would split her screen and open a browser to dig through websites, often returning to 'Assassins Unveiled' to browse the threads and occasionally respond. It seemed she found much of the website amusing, using sarcasm and jokes when responding. Other times she would stream vids to watch while she ate. Her extranet accounts were wiped clean, all incoming and outgoing messages deleted. She neither sent nor received any messages since he started watching. She was, compared to the vast majority of his marks, boring.

Thane smiled when Jasmine began searching the area. She did well, being discreet, but not well enough. Her eyes slid right past his location twice, but she didn't appear to see him. He considered, for a moment, stepping out of the shadows and letting her catch a glimpse. Although her reaction to seeing him would be informative, the action would be unwise. He knew next to nothing about this man, Geoffrey, or what exactly Geoffrey knew about the company he kept. Jasmine might trouble Thane, but until he understood what she wanted, he wouldn't do her the disservice of exposing her.

The boy seemed really happy with her. Thane wondered if she considered taking him in as her own. She seemed to genuinely care for the child. Perhaps then she would take his advice to heart and find a new profession to ensure Rift's safety. He had tried and failed to do the same for Irikah and their son. Irikah had died because of his failure, and now the only way he could protect his son was to never see him again. Thane rubbed at the ache in his chest, savoring the pain.

What would Rift do if Jasmine didn't take him in? The credits Thane paid him, though a meager sum to Thane, it often made the difference between whether he ate or not on any given day. Thane decided he would continue to provide for him through other means, perhaps giving the other drala'fa a stipend to care for Rift. He seemed particularly fond of the asari, Mila. She would be a good choice.

Jasmine's head tilted back with laughter. Rift's grin infectious even to Thane in his self- enforced prison of misery and solitude. Geoffrey patted Jasmine's shoulder affectionately while ruffling Rift's hair with his other hand.

Jealousy, sorrow, remorse—too much, too strong—swept over Thane, howling through his battle sleep for one breathless moment. His hands trembled, he gasped for air, the dull ache in his chest turning to a searing pain. Then, just as suddenly as it came, it disappeared, leaving an oppressive emptiness in contrast.

Thane backed deeper into the shadows before turning his back on the 'happy family' picture Jasmine painted at her table. A sudden realization whispered in the back of his mind.

Kill me or not, this woman will be the end of me.


	7. Felton of the Elnsoon Clan of Thunawanuro

**Felton of the Elnsoon Clan of Thunawanuro**

Jasmine tugged at the hem of the hood hiding her face, shoving stray pieces of hair under the blue cloth and pulling it down further over her head. She sucked in a deep breath and shook her fingers at her side, trying again to chase away the knot of snakes slithering around in her stomach. They'd been wreaking havoc on her insides since the moment she opened her laptop to dig around in Thane's omni-tool and found a picture of herself with Rift and Geoffrey staring back at her.

Jasmine knew someone was watching her, and yet she agreed to stay. She should've insisted that they leave the moment she knew something was off. Maybe then she wouldn't be in this mess. She spent twenty minutes staring at the picture, trying to pin down the exact location of his hiding spot from the angle of the picture. She knew she looked right at the spot, and she couldn't believe she didn't spot him.

As if the photo wasn't enough to stop her heart, Thane took it a step further, making it clear he knew she'd been watching him. At the bottom of the picture, he'd left a message for her, " _Come see me, Shepard. You know where to find me."_

What choice did she really have? That didn't mean she needed to go in blind. She couldn't trust her laptop now, he must've backtraced the signal and could be using it to watch her. The fact it wasn't synced to her omni-tool didn't guarantee he hadn't used his own methods to tap into it as well. She'd scrub both later, the Alliance had programs she could use to wipe them clean of any espionage software while keeping her files intact. Of course that would mean she'd lose her connection to Thane, but it couldn't be helped. She didn't have time to wait for that now, though.

Jasmine opened her omni-tool and studied the blueprints for Thane's apartment complex again. The ventilation systems weren't large enough for her to access, but she could get into the maintenance shafts from any level of the complex. The fire exits were wired to an alarm system, opening them would sound an alarm. She could deactivate the alarm if she needed to, but Jasmine didn't like messing with measures put in place to protect the public unless it became necessary. One false step and she could permanently disable the alarm without realizing, putting the people who lived in the building in harm's way if a fire ever broke out.

The blueprints showed her the layout of the apartment, but it couldn't show her any precautions Thane might've taken; any traps he might've laid. Jasmine chewed on her lip, tearing at the little pieces of dried skin until she tasted blood. He'd sent her a very personalized invitation, he was expecting her. There wasn't anyway she could get into his apartment without him knowing. The front door approach would have to do. It was the smartest, safest bet. She could avoid the cameras easily enough. Still, she liked knowing her alternative escape routes.

Jasmine closed her omni-tool. She breathed in deeply, blowing it out in a rush before jogging across the way to Thane's apartment complex. She kept her head low, relying on her hood to block her face from any cameras she might miss as she made her way up to the third floor. She'd just raised her hand to knock when the door marked thirty-six slid open. Jasmine looked up, her eyes meeting Thane's.

Thane stepped aside, waving his hand out at the apartment. "Please, come in."

Jasmine crossed the threshold just far enough for the door to slide closed behind her. Subtle spice with a hint of something sweet hung in the air, unfamiliar to her nostrils. Saliva welled up in her mouth, and she swallowed it down, pushing her hood back to glance around the apartment. Inches to her right a wall, void of any pictures or other embellishments, closed off what the blueprints identified as the kitchen area. She suspected that delicious smell must be coming from in there. Jasmine spotted the door to the bathroom a few feet away on her left. Memories of watching Thane through his omni-tool as he stood shirtless, staring off into the bathroom mirror, threatened to bring a blush to her cheeks.

Jasmine moved on, her gaze roaming over the foyer. On the same wall, just past the bathroom would be his bedroom, where Jasmine knew Thane spent hours every morning exercising before losing himself to his most intimate memories. The heat crept up Jasmine's neck, making its way closer to her face until she turned her eyes to the living area across from the front door and forced herself to focus on why she was there.

Thane waited, his hand still held out encouraging her to continue further into the apartment. The entryway wasn't very wide, one point five two meters according to the blueprints, meaning she'd have to pass very close to Thane: close enough for him to reach out and snap her neck without having to take a step closer to her. The hair on the back of Jasmine's neck stood on end, her feet telling her to turn around and go the other way. Instead, Jasmine put one foot in front of the other and brushed past him, stepping down the two stairs separating the entryway from the living room.

Jasmine spun around next to the coffee table, crossing her arms lightly over her chest, hoping to hide her unsteady breathing. "Nice place. Very … neat."

"It serves it's purpose." Thane stopped at the top of the stairs and tucked his hands behind his back. "Have a seat, make yourself comfortable."

"I think I'll stand for now, thanks." Jasmine felt the muscles along her jaw flutter when Thane took a step down. She thought he must've seen it as well when he hesitated before taking the next step. She was on his turf, his advantage. She was uncomfortable, and they both knew it.

"Very well." Thane moved past her and into the kitchen, only a small portion within Jasmine's line of sight. "Would you care for some tea? I just put it on before you arrived; it's best fresh."

Jasmine watched as he lifted the lid off of a small pot on the stove, the scent in the air thickening, taunting her tastebuds once more. He moved away from the stove and out of her sight. Her heart skipping a beat before picking up where it left off at double speed, Jasmine crossed the floor on light feet, careful not to let her heels scrape across the carpet. She peered around the edge of the wall. Thane stood at a cupboard, pulling down a tray to set on the counter in front of him.

A thin, reedy breath slipped between her lips. "Why am I here, Krios?" Jasmine moved to fill the doorway.

_Christ, he's really just making tea._

Thane looked up at her, the light of the room shining through the dark outer layer of his eyes, showing her the brilliant green irises hidden beneath. His lips parted, and she thought she saw something dance across the surface of those green pools before he turned his attention back to the cabinet. He brought down an asari style teapot, black ceramic with gold inlay of flowers and mountains.

He settled it on the tray with careful, sure fingers. "To talk … peacefully, I hope." He picked up two matching tea cups, glancing back at her before setting one down on the tray. He held the other by the base, perched on his fingertips in front of him like an offering, this time holding her gaze. "Though you certainly might've come to try and kill me."

_You're the one that lured me here with a picture of my fam—with a picture of the people I care about. What's your game, Krios? I didn't think you'd bring the kid into this, not like this. Not as a threat. But you just want to talk? Peacefully?_

"To talk?" Jasmine nodded her head at the teacup, the churning in her stomach persisting.

Thane sat the cup down on the tray, turning it so the handle faced outward, at the exact angle as the first, before adding two saucers. "Indeed." He picked the tray up and moved it over to the stove. Jasmine watched his measured movements with narrowed eyes. Thane always moved with careful precision, and his love of all things orderly wasn't lost on her but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. His movements seemed too careful, too orderly, and it made Jasmine's hackles rise.

She mulled it over in her mind while watching Thane open the teapot and pour the steaming, beige liquid inside. Seeing loose leaves left behind in the bottom of the pot as he settled it back to the stovetop brought a twitch to Jasmine's eyebrows. She made tea by throwing a bag in a coffee mug filled with water and sticking it in the microwave for three minutes, but _of course_ he would have loose leaf tea and a full, proper tea set. She moved aside, keeping distance between them, when he picked up the tray and walked toward her. There it was, the hint she'd been looking for in the slight twitch of his fingers, tightening on the handles of the tray as he passed her.

_Tense? Nervous? Christ, he_ is _expecting me to attack! And here I was thinking all this nicety was a ruse on his part, and I was the one walking into a trap._

Thane carried the tray into the living room, settling it on the coffee table. His muscles coiled beneath the brown leather of his jacket as he turned back to Jasmine, tucking his hands behind his back once more. Jasmine lingered by the kitchen door, glancing at the single couch that, aside from the chair at the desk in the corner, marked the only place to sit. There would be plenty of space between them if they both sat on the couch, but she'd feel much better facing him dead on with something solid between them. And judging by the vibes she was picking up from him, so would he.

He followed her gaze to the couch, and as if able to read her mind with that single look, he moved to the desk, bringing the chair back with him to the opposite side of the coffee table. Jasmine let out a slow, steadying breath and started moving to the couch. He sat down in the desk chair and began filling the cups. She perched on the edge at the center of the couch and pushed up her sleeves, flexing her hands to still their trembling.

"Most don't find the Citadel to be cold, shall I adjust the thermostat for you?" His eyes flickered to hers as he sat a cup down on a saucer in front of her.

Jasmine snorted softly and shook her head. "I'm not cold, but thanks for asking." She picked up the saucer, balancing it on her palm as she watched the creamy liquid ripple from the movement. "I'm guessing you play the good host with all your guests and not just those you're blackmailing with pictures," Jasmine said, seizing control of the conversation before he could lead her astray.

She'd played this charade before, danced this dance with targets and other assassins alike, including Leon. The only way to win was to stay on top, control the flow, and he seemed off kilter enough that they just might both survive the conversation. She didn't know what exactly had him rattled, but whatever it was, she appreciated the edge it gave her.

Thane chuckled, humorless and hollow as he picked up his own saucer and leaned back in the chair. "I don't have guests, but I was taught to comport myself in a certain way." He took a sip of his tea, watching Jasmine over the rim of his cup.

Jasmine lifted the cup to her lips, the spicy scent reminding her of cinnamon and cayenne, earthy undertones of cumin and nutmeg overwhelming her senses. "No guests? Ever?" She tipped the cup, carefully testing the the temperature of the tea against her lips before letting it fill her mouth. Jasmine's eyebrows shot up of their own accord, a moan of pleasure vibrating her throat as the creamy, bittersweet liquid slid over her tongue. She cleared her throat and looked away from Thane's pleased smile, telling herself it was nothing more than a part of the charade.

"I'm glad you like it." He took another drink himself before setting his cup back on the saucer. "It's made from the few plants from the drell homeworld we were able to successfully grow on Kahje. Though, I'm told the foreign soil altered their taste." Thane leaned forward, setting the saucer back on the table. "To answer your question: no, I never have guests. Not since—" Pain flashed clear and bright in his eyes, taking Jasmine by surprise and leaving her momentarily breathless. "Not for a few years, now."

She pushed away the urge to reach out to him, put her hand on his shoulder and ask what was wrong. Jasmine chastised herself for falling so easily for what was probably a calculated movement, meant to unbalance her. She pulled up the wrought iron cloak of cynical humor that kept her alive over the years, wrapping it around her heart. "Well, don't I feel special?" A wry smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Now if you tell me that you reserved blackmail just for me, too, I'll think it's my lucky day. Let me guess, you want to trade the picture for my word that I'll leave the Citadel?"

Thane smirked and folded his hands across his abdomen, his elbows resting on the arms of the chair. "The thought occurred to me, but I somehow doubt it would be that easy to get you to leave. I'm more interested in learning why it is that you've been watching me."

_Seriously? I mean, I guess that makes sense but I thought … well hell, if you're going to make this easy for me … ._

Jasmine's stomach stopped churning while muscles in her shoulders, she didn't even realize were tight, started to relax. Jasmine brought her cup to her lips again, buying herself time while she regained her equilibrium. She watched Thane over the rim, blowing gently at the steam before taking a sip and licking her lips.

"Why'd you break into my apartment and dig through my things?" Jasmine sat her cup down on the saucer before settling it to her knees.

"To learn more about you, and to convince you to leave." Thane raised a brow ridge, telling her he thought the answer obvious enough.

"You mean to attempt to intimidate me, to bully me into leaving." Jasmine took a sip of tea, watching him over the top of the cup. "You wanted me afraid of you when your attempts to diminish my self-image didn't do the trick."

"Clearly I failed, though my motives were hardly as nefarious as you're convinced." Thane retrieved his own cup, pausing to take a drink before setting it down again. "My social skills are ... limited. Perhaps next time I'll attempt a bribe instead."

_Limited my ass._

Jasmine scoffed. "I might've shot you for that." She held a hand up, allowing herself a roll of her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I could've _tried_."

"Are all humans so … obstinate?" Thane raised his brow again.

_Was that a genuine slip there, Krios? Have you really not interacted with enough humans to know … or are you just trying to bait me?_

Jasmine raised her own eyebrow in response. "Are all drell so arrogant?"

"I'm not arrogant, Shepard. I'm objective." Thane steepled his fingers, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "I hold no delusions of perfection, but neither am I blind to the areas in which I excel … few as they are." He studied her for a moment in silence. "Why have you been watching me? Has the Alliance sent you to kill me?"

_Oh. Oh that's good. Still, best to disabuse him of that notion. God only knows what it might encourage him to do if he seriously thinks the Alliance is after him._

Jasmine moved her tea to the table and leaned forward, mimicking his posture. "I've no intention of killing you, Krios." She willed every ounce of truth she could muster into her voice, unflinchingly holding his gaze. "And as far as I'm aware, neither does the Alliance." Jasmine paused, allowing her words sink in, continuing only when she saw the hint of confusion in his eyes. "You insulted and challenged me, Krios. I'm just trying to figure out why you think you're so much better than me."

He broke the staredown, his gaze moving from her eyes to roam over the rest of her face before frowning. "I never challenged you. I've only tried to discourage you from this path, and it wasn't my intention to insult you. You're new at this still, I've spent most of my life doing this. It's only natural our work be incomparable."

Jasmine cocked her head to the side, her scoff little more than a puff of air forced from her nose as the muscles along her jaw flexed. "Do you really not hear how pompous you sound? See, I take statements like that as a challenge. I think it would leave most people feeling like they need to prove themselves."

Thane blinked a couple of times before picking up his cup and leaning back in the chair. The tense silence wore on, making Jasmine's skin crawl, invisible ants forging a trail down her spine. She sat upright, fighting the urge to roll her shoulders and chase the feeling away, focusing the pent up energy on finishing her tea instead. Setting the empty cup down, she watched him process. When he finally looked away from her, she thought she saw his shoulders sag, whether in relief or defeat she couldn't be sure. Thane drained his cup and picked up the teapot, letting it hover over Jasmine's cup, ready to pour.

"Yes, thank you." Jasmine nodded absently.

"I want to be sure I understand." Thane dipped his head, refilling both cups. His voice dropped an octave lower than before, the gravelly quality accentuated when he spoke. Something about it called to Jasmine, pleaded with her to let the dance end and help him make sense of her motives."The Alliance has nothing to do with this? You're not watching me on official orders, and it's not your intention to kill me?" Thane wrapped his hands around the cup, foregoing the handle and rested his elbows on his knees. The simple lapse in etiquette chipped away another layer of the appearance of constant composure, leaving Jasmine to swallow down her own doubts as they began to rise up in a thick knot.

_No, I'm not wrong. He's playing me, that's it._

"Correct." Jasmine nodded.

"Instead, you've taken offense to things I've said and see that as a reason to prove yourself." Thane paused, and Jasmine nodded again. "To me?"

Jasmine scoffed, fighting the frown tugging at her lips. "No, not to _you_."

"Then who?" Thane lifted a finger from the mug to point at her. "Yourself?"

Jasmine shrugged. "Let's just say the galaxy."

"Very well." Thane smirked, his voice relaxing back to his usual soft whisper of sandpaper smoothing down wood. "And you've come to the conclusion that the best way to do this is to spy on me?"

Jasmine lifted her cup to her lips, savoring the smell and taste before answering, "It was a start."

"A start?" Thane quirked his brow in question.

"Indeed." Using the term she heard from him so often made her grin. "I'm a little surprised, Krios. I expected you to laugh and give me some smug remark, add a little more fuel to the fire."

"I—I'm afraid I'm not seeing the humor in all of this." Thane stared at the mug in his hands. "I don't suppose you can be dissuaded from this course of action?"

"Unlikely. I'm obstinate, remember?" Jasmine showed him her teeth in a smile that felt more aggressive than filled with humor.

Thane let out a weary sigh and settled his dishes back on the tray. Jasmine did the same with hers after draining the cup once more, greedy for every last drop. Thane opened his omni-tool while Jasmine stood, pulling her sleeves back down and flipping her hood back over her head. "Thanks for the tea. What's it called? I think I might look for some."

" _Cinuela_ , but it's unlikely you'll find it anywhere on the Citadel." Thane stood, showing her the picture before erasing it. "I've made no copies, I assure you."

_Cinuela … why does that sound familiar?_

Jasmine paused, fingers hanging from the hem of her hood. She looked up from the omni-tool to meet Thane's eyes and swallowed. She hadn't expected him to be the one to address the issue, let alone delete the picture without her insistence. "You'll keep them out of this?"

"It was never my intention to harm them. I—I just needed insurance, to get you here to talk." Thane focused his attention on the omni-tool. Jasmine expected him to ask her stop using it to watch him but the request never came. "I'll keep them out of this."

"I have your word?" Promises were another one of those symbols that helped Jasmine navigate life. For a lot of people, a promise could be uttered without more than a passing thought and broken just as easily. Not for her though. She never made a promise she didn't intend to keep, and she never let a broken promise slide. It had meaning, it carried weight, even if only to a rare few. Thane spoke the language, she had to believe he understood. She had to believe he was a man of his word, else she was playing a game far more dangerous than she could come to terms with.

Jasmine's mask slipped a fraction as he studied her face. Thane dipped his head again. "You have my word, Shepard."

"Thank you." Jasmine made her way to the door, conscious of his presence a few feet behind her the entire way. The conversation weighing heavy on her, she pulled at that cynical humor, wrapping it back around her a shield against the doubt and softening emotions threatening to undo her. "Hey, if you ever do decide to try and bribe me, the _cinuela_ is a good place to start. And maybe some chocolate." Jasmine stopped in front of the door to turn back to him, pulling an easy smile to her face. "It won't work, but at least I won't _try_ to shoot you."

Thane chuckled, but Jasmine thought she detected a melancholy undertone. "I'll keep that in mind. Goodnight, Shepard."

Jasmine pushed stray hairs under the hood and tugged it in place, watching his eyes from beneath her cowl and trying to decipher his thoughts. Whatever was going on inside that green head of his, it remained an enigma to her. "Goodnight, Krios."

* * *

Thane stood staring at the door after Jasmine left for long minutes, confusion and curiosity warring with alarm and concern for the woman's state of mind. The emotions pulling taut the skin beneath his scales and tickling the base of his skull. Finally, he locked it and returned to the living room, gathering up the dishes and taking them to the kitchen. He hoped the simple routine of washing up might bring him some clarity, but the only sense he could make of Jasmine and her indefinite intrusion into his life was that it must be the will of the gods. Once the dishes were cleaned and put away, he found himself staring at the empty couch where she'd sat. Her citrus scent still lingered, mixed with the spice of _cinuela_. Her words, proclaiming her intent sounding like a twisted mockery of a vendetta, echoed in his mind as he rubbed at the dull ache in his chest.

_The gods have decided I need to be further humbled. They sent Irikah to save me, and then I failed to save her. Now, they've sent Shepard to punish me. She's dragging me from my battle sleep. Why? Am I to be forced to feel the pain of my loss, the regret of my folly, unchecked at the whim of my tattered soul?_

_So be it. Perhaps I'll be able to help her learn from my mistakes. Perhaps this isn't punishment, but a chance at redemption._

Thane's omni-tool pinged, alerting him to a new message. He moved his desk chair back where it belonged before taking the seat Jasmine vacated on the couch. He opened his omni-tool and smiled, expecting it to be a message from Jasmine, some further mystery for him to unravel—questioning why it should bring a smile to his face at all. His smile faded when he saw the name attached to the extranet address, Beleno, one of the monikers used by his old hanar handler.

" _This one hopes this message finds you well."_ Thane frowned, Beleno was one of the very few hanar of which he established a close enough relationship to learn the hanar's soul name. Beleno dropped the formalities with Thane many years ago, but here he referred to himself as 'this one' once more. " _This one knows you have long since left the Compact, but this one hopes a request might be made of you. This one believes if you read the attached dossier, you will understand why this one finds the matter so pressing as to request your aid. It would please this one greatly to hear from you either way, to know you are well."_

Thane downloaded the dossier and opened it the second it finished. What he found there battered against the already crumbling walls Jasmine left in her wake. Righteous anger swept through him in a crashing wave, threatening to wash away the last of his battle sleep. Fingers unsteady, he scrolled down, taking in every last minute detail he could about the elcor, Felton of the Elnsoon Clan of Thunawanuro. Focusing on the task at hand, the tide receded, leaving him raw but composed.

To all external appearances, Felton was a respectable businessman, well known on the Citadel for his stock share trading company. The Illuminated Primacy pinned him down as being the head of one of the biggest traders in hanar slaves, even going so far as to gather evidence. Thane looked over the clearly covertly taken pictures of hanar, their appendages shackled together to keep them from defending themselves or escaping. Packed in so tight, Thane's eyes couldn't tell one's distressed bioluminescence from the next. Dirty, dehydrated, and emaciated, the hanar looked near death.

Thane looked over the blueprints, the areas the hanar were being held already marked for him, along with the security measures Felton had in place. Beleno was certainly right, Thane understood why they would seek him out for this. It would take great skill to get inside unseen, and killing an elcor was no easy task. Killing five of them would prove difficult even for him, especially with the unspoken request that he rescue the slaves.

Thane closed the dossier; having committed everything to memory he wouldn't need it again. His fingers hovered over the document's icon, ready to delete it from his omni-tool along with the message. He always deleted every message and dossier right away, so why the hesitation now?

_Shepard._

Thane blinked, his eyes losing focus as Jasmine's image filled his vision. He pushed it aside, shaking his head, knowing she could establish the link to his omni-tool at any moment, and he didn't want her seeing him recount his innermost thoughts of their encounter. Thane swallowed, choking down his confusion.

_She wishes to know more about me. The gods seem to will it, who am I to argue?_

Thane dropped his hand, leaving the dossier's icon there to stare back at him defiantly. Slowly, he closed his omni-tool and stood from the couch. Trepidation edged in around his consciousness, the muscles of his shoulders, back, and chest tightening in response.

_She will be the death of me, but I am ready._

* * *

Thane lay in the darkness, sleep evading him. Images of Irikah throwing herself in front of his target, her eyes searching him out in defiance, danced in front of his eyes one moment only to be replaced with Jasmine, starring at him with fire in her eyes, his pistol ignored as she persisted to push for a negotiation on Rift's behalf. Thane rolled to his side, the soft caress of the sheet against his bare scales pulling new memories of Irikah from him. He could see her there, crystal clear inches away, but he was not so far lost to the memory that he didn't know that if he reached out his hand he would feel only the cold, empty sheets.

_I don't know what to do, help me, siha._

The mirage only smiled at him with her breathtaking beauty, portraying warmth and compassion in her eyes before reaching out her hand to ghost over his face. Thane squeezed his eyes closed, letting his flesh remember the warmth of her tender touch as his throat ached, threatening to release the sob he held back.

The warmth faded and with it he let the memory go, rolling to his other side. He should have talked to Jasmine more, asked more questions, regardless of how rude he might have sounded. She thought him arrogant anyway, taking slight in everything he said. Maybe there was some answer there just waiting for him to ask the right question and then it would all make sense. The urge to leave his bed and make his way to Jasmine's apartment nearly had him throwing back the sheets when his omni-tool vibrated against his wrist.

* * *

Jasmine opened her laptop and immediately Thane's live feed popped up on her screen, showing her nothing but darkness. A moment later, a light came on and she caught a glimpse of his bedroom before his face and bare chest came into view. Her interest piqued; she'd half expected the connection to already be cut by the time she made it home, but instead there he was actively engaging her over the link. Though, really, he could put a shirt on first.

Thane smirked, giving the camera a slight shake of his head before disappearing from sight, filling the screen with shaking images of his room as he moved from the bed. Jasmine grinned and started digging through his omni-tool one last time, the thrill of the hunt coursing through her veins, high on the victory of getting out of Thane's apartment unscathed. Chances were, he'd cut the feed at any moment, if not, she'd do it herself but she wanted to grab whatever she could first. She wondered briefly how he was able to determine that she was watching in that moment, but pushed the thought aside when she saw his desk come into view, his hand reaching out to open his laptop. She saw nothing but his ceiling as the soft clacking of keys being pressed filtered through her speakers.

He had a new message with a dossier. She pursued her lips, he'd clearly already read the message and downloaded the dossier but both remained on his omni-tool. He'd left them there for her to find.

_Are you screwing with me? Trying to make things easier for the poor new girl?_

Jasmine narrowed her eyes at the message taunting her before downloading it anyway. Either it was there to trip her up or it wasn't, she'd figure it out later. Surely he'd block her access any minute, she didn't have time to dawdle. Jasmine opened a program on her laptop designed to retrieve deleted data and set it to run on Thane's omni-tool, hoping to ferret out any deleted messages or files. It would take a few minutes, and would only work if he hadn't taken the extra precaution of clearing the cache but it was worth a shot.

Jasmine glanced back at the live feed in time to see her own face appear on his laptop. He was watching her, he knew exactly what she was doing, and he wasn't stopping her. She cocked her head to the side, but the image of her didn't repeat the gesture.

Jasmine looked at the camera. "You added a delay. Clever. Has it served you well?"

"Perhaps if you tell me what you're looking for, I can help you find it." His feed shifted, showing Jasmine his face as if she were below him looking up.

"Nude photos." Jasmine deadpanned, turning her attention back to the little progress bar slowly filling up the box on her screen. Maybe she could keep him talking long enough to let the program finish. "I figure I can use them to bribe my contact on _Assassins Unveiled_ since he mysteriously stops responding to my messages anytime the topic shifts to you."

_Maybe he'll actually send me some. Christ. No, Jasmine. Just no._

Thane's strangled wheeze startled her, pulling her eyes back to the live feed. He held a fist to his mouth and cleared his throat. Jasmine laughed. "Don't go dying on me, Krios. It's a joke. You're supposed to laugh, not choke on it. But hey, it's good to know something gets under your skin."

Thane glanced at the omni-tool, giving her a wry grin. "Indeed."

"Just doing one last sweep before I shut this thing down." Jasmine raised her eyebrow. "The better question is, why are you letting me do it?"

"Perhaps I want to see what it is you have to prove." He tilted his head to the side. "Perhaps it helps me to understand you."

"Am I that confusing?" Jasmine raised her eyebrow. She didn't know whether to be pleased or worried that he was taking a more direct interest in her, but surely it was no surprise considering everything she'd said and done.

"Indeed." Thane turned his attention back to his laptop screen, watching her as she waited. "I don't understand, I thought you wished to observe me. Why would you remove the connection?"

"Come on, Krios. It defeats the purpose if you hand it to me on a silver platter. Besides, where's the fun in that?"

"This is fun for you?" The incredulity in his voice grated across her skin like road rash, leaving her raw and defensive.

Jasmine schooled her expression, plastering a smile on her face instead of clenching her jaw. "Sure. You didn't have fun digging through my stuff?"

"Not at all, the state of your apartment is alarming." Thane lifted the corner of his mouth, his eyes nothing but unreadable black orbs from the current angle.

Jasmine snorted, more than a little amused that he was picking up her sense of humor and throwing it back at her. "That's because you're an obsessive neat freak. I tell you what, the next time you decide to break in, feel free to clean it up for me."

"If I'm not mistaken, _that_ was an insult." Thane's soft chuckle barely registered through her speakers."I take no offense."

The bar finished filling on her screen, and Jasmine closed the program. She'd look later to see what files, if any, she retrieved. She opened another program, ready to scrub her system. It would take a couple of hours to run, but would cut the link to Thane first. Jasmine started the program and looked back at the camera. "That's too bad, I might've won myself a free housekeeper if you had. Program's running, it'll cut us off soon." Jasmine grinned, leaning forward to rest her elbow on the desk so she could prop up her chin and watch Thane. "Still have time to send me those nude photos."

Thane smiled, looking directly into his omni-tool's camera. "I'm afraid I don't own a silver platter."

Jasmine tilted her head back in laughter, glancing back to the screen just in time to see Thane's look of genuine amusement before the connection cut out, and he disappeared along with the window showing her his omni-tool. Her laughter died out, the smile fading from her face only to be replaced with the sudden, irritating feeling of loneliness.


	8. Quin'Nal vas Usela

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter in particular has a few scenes that some people might find upsetting. Warnings for graphic violence, cruelty, and xenophobia. Additionally, I've been meaning to mention that if you are interested in 'Targeted Interference' and the idea of the website 'Assassins Unveiled', then you might be interested to check out the reader-interactive mock forum I have exclusively on Archive of Our Own (AO3) entitled 'Assassins Unveiled'.

**Quin'Nal vas Usela**

Jasmine watched Thane from the shadows. So far, he hadn't noticed her. Or at least she didn't think he did. She'd spent the last two days watching his apartment and Felton's estate through C-Sec's surveillance feeds. One of the problems with big, high-tech places like the Citadel: there were cameras everywhere, they were unavoidable. She felt nothing but gratitude for them now.

She memorized the blueprints, and everything she could from the dossier. While reading about the horrors the dossier held, she felt fine. As soon as she began looking at the photos of the shackled, neglected, and abused hanar, her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. Jasmine rushed to the bathroom, purging herself of her dinner and cursing herself for the weakness. She brushed her teeth and splashed water on her face before deciding to take a shower to calm her nerves. Afterward, she returned to the pictures and forced herself to look them all. Again, and again, and again until she stopped shaking. She'd read the dossier a second time and shook her head, trying to clear the fog of bewilderment settling in around her thoughts.

_Five elcor. Krios is going to take on five elcor. Alone. It's suicide, even for him._

She didn't know exactly when she made the decision, but sometime before the Citadel cycled back to day, she'd made up her mind. No way she'd let him go in there alone. It didn't matter if the Alliance put her on this one or not. She didn't think they'd condemn her for interfering with something so clearly against what the Alliance stood for. Not that she had any intention of ever letting them find out.

She considered going to Thane and insisting he let her help, but that pill tasted a little too bitter to swallow. The thought of him laughing in her face didn't help at all. So instead, she studied and watched, treating Felton just like any other target. Whoever Beleno was to Thane, he'd done a fantastic job with the dossier leaving her with little to question or research on her own. It even gave her Felton's schedule down to the minute, not that she didn't verify it regardless.

The time to change her mind behind her now, she turned her attention back to the task at hand. Thane stood on the catwalks overlooking Felton's estates. Jasmine saw it in the intensity of his focus: he'd come to make his move. She'd wait for him go in first.

_I might die in there. We both might. Christ why am I doing this?_

Thane's name came to her mind, and she shoved it away, sickened and yet relieved when the images of the shackled hanar readily took his place. She wasn't doing it for him, or because of him. She chose to go in there for the hanar. They were the only reason that mattered. They must be, or she couldn't do this. She focused her attention back on Thane.

The moment the lights dimmed in the front of the estate, he disappeared. While studying the blueprints, she determined he'd most likely enter through the kitchen. It made the most sense; it'd get him closest to the study where Felton would be this time of night and allow him to bypass most of the guards for the time being.

Jasmine planned to go in through the skylight. It let out just above a grand staircase—designed for elcor and bipedal races alike—giving her immediate access to the rafters where she'd find a perch. If she got lucky, she'd take out the guards patrolling by the front door. If things went south, well then at least she'd draw their attention to the front of the house, giving Thane time to get to his prime target and the slaves. She counted out sixty seconds, giving Thane a chance to get into place before she crouched low and ran around the side of the estate.

Jasmine loved the Presidium, in their false sense of security they made things far too easy for people like her. She scaled a tree, allowed to grow too close to the building to be wise, and tiptoed across the branch before leaping to the roof. She landed in a low crouch, her ears and eyes straining for any indication she'd been spotted. Her pulse pounded loudly, washing out the quieter sounds around her. Her fingers trembled as they pressed into the rooftop. She hated the uncertainty, yet couldn't deny the high it gave her. Dumping more adrenaline into her system, she could feel it course through her veins.

Jasmine scurried to the skylight, staying back far enough to peer in without risking being seen. She couldn't see anyone from her angle, but to be safe she moved to the other side, checking the staircase and floor below for elcor. Finding none, Jasmine slid one of her knives free from the sheath wrapped around her thigh and slid it between the roof and window. As carefully as she could, she worked the knife sideways until she reached the latch and popped it loose.

Looking over the edge again, she found nothing changed. Lifting the skylight just enough to slip her knife soundlessly free, she tucked her knife back into the sheath. Jasmine took a deep breath, letting it out with a prayer that the hinges didn't creak. She lifted the skylight, moving inch by inch along until she locked the hinges in place. She crouched back down, listening and looking around beneath her.

Jasmine laid flat on her stomach, her fingers gripping the metal frame and lowered her head inside, looking around. Certain her way was clear, and with her destination firmly in sight, she lowered her torso down through the hole. She used her feet to brace herself until she flipped her hands around on the sill, letting her body drop through the opening the rest of the way.

Kicking her legs out and up, she looped them around the nearest metal beam and wove her feet through the smaller, decorative poles attached to the rafter. Next came the hard part: convincing her hands to let go. She refused to look at the marble stairs beneath her and took another breath. Tightening her core muscles to help fight gravity, Jasmine let go first with one hand and then the other.

Her stomach and thighs burned as she curled her body up against the force pulling her down. She bit back a groan, pushing herself until her fingers brushed metal. Jasmine fumbled, trying to get a good grip, terrified she'd fall and crush her body on the stairs below. She squeezed her stomach muscles tighter, flexing her calves to help give her leverage and pushed up again. She nearly cried out in relief when she got the grip she needed.

She wanted to take a few seconds to let the burn fade and to calm her breathing, but it would've been too risky and she didn't have time. Instead, she pulled herself upright onto the rafters and readied her sniper rifle.

_Thank God I used scent masking soap._

Jasmine frowned, pushing the fleeting thought away and crept forward, out over the entry hall.

* * *

Thane moved through the dim kitchen, relieved to see the asari and human staff Felton employed had indeed left the kitchen for the evening. Reaching the door leading to the staff hall, he pressed his back against the wall. He listened and watched, counting the beats of his heart. There, the first guard as expected. He waited, counting the shallow rise and fall of his chest. There, the second guard right on time.

Thane waited until the lumbering elcor turned his back and then slipped into the hall, moving on silent feet in the opposite direction. He stepped into a room; staff quarters according to the blue prints. A human male sat in a chair facing a vidscreen, his back to the door. The noise of the vid loud enough to cover even the biggest blunder Thane could ever make. He counted, waiting until he was certain the guards passed again and left the room, sparing a fraction of a second to glance back down the hall from where he came. He spotted three cameras in the section of the hall, but they wouldn't be recording him that night. He'd made sure of it, but as always, he'd still avoid them.

Counting his breathing, he moved down the hall stepping into another room before the next guard came. The office stood empty, dark save for the light trickling in through the window. Timing exact, he moved back into the hall and walked to the end. Peering around the corner where the staff hall opened up into a main hall, Thane crossed to another door and stepped inside.

Dark as the nights on Kahje, he gave his eyes a moment to adjust before climbing on a desk. Reaching above him to slide away a ceiling panel, he pulled himself up into the crawlspace. He shifted the panel back into place before crossing the divider between rooms.

Thane closed his eyes, mentally searching the blueprint before choosing a panel he believed would allow him to drop into the room behind Felton's desk. He eased up the panel, moving it just enough to glimpse the elcor. Indeed, Felton stood in front of his desk, his back to Thane. He'd have to be swift, and precise. Elcor were slow, but they had an exceptional sense of smell, and brutal strength. A little known fact, but an elcor could easily crush a krogan's skull beyond their regenerative capabilities—if provoked into violent action and given the chance to land such a blow. He knew the moment he moved the panel out of the way, Felton would pick up the residual odors no drell could completely wash away.

His prayers to Amonkira already spoken, his fate already entrusted to the hands of the gods, Thane moved the panel and dropped to the floor, drawing his dagger as he fell. He heard a gunshot from somewhere at the front of the estate. Felton began the slow turn to face Thane, yet unable to even form a startled vocalization. Thane pulled his biotic energy around himself, focusing it down on his hand before unleashing it in a Warp on the elcor. It didn't have as much effect as it would on someone smaller, but it bought him the time to take the four steps forward and plunge his knife through Felton's thick hide and into his heart. A second gunshot echoed down the hall, heralding the panicked screams of human and asari, disturbing the beauty of the silence he worked so hard to maintain.

_Shepard?_

Thane twisted the blade, but he knew it wouldn't be enough. Ripping the blade free, he moved as fast as he could, as fast as if his very life depended on it—and indeed it did—stabbing the dagger back through thick hide with all of his strength. The first bellow of rage and agony tore through Felton's flared lips. Joined, a heartbeat later, by the same grating sounds coming from elsewhere in the estate.

The elcor tried to retreat, tried to put distance between himself and Thane. He knew it'd be the last mistake he'd ever make; if he gave Felton distance, the elcor would rear back and crush him. Instead, he pushed forward, keeping himself as close as possible to Felton and continued his assault. The sound of a third shot rattled his skull, but he continued. There could be no turning back. Blood soaked his hand, threatening his grip on the hilt when finally the elcor swayed, losing his footing and crashed to the floor.

* * *

The first elcor laid in a rapidly growing pool of his own blood. His eyes stared up at the rafters, searching her out with the last vestiges of consciousness. Jasmine swallowed against the knot in her throat. She hated slow deaths; hated them with a passion, but she'd never heard of a quick way to kill an elcor without a rocket launcher or high grade explosives. She hated it even more when a dying target held her gaze, so she refused to meet his eyes when they found her.

Jasmine swallowed again, putting her eye back to the scope and tracked her second target. Ignoring the elcor's death rattle, she locked on to the corner of the wall she knew the other elcor hid.

"Respectfully: Human, you don't need to do this. Eager: I can pay you whatever you ask." The elcor's voice barely reached Jasmine's perch.

Jasmine snorted softly, keeping her eye to the scope and her finger hovering over the trigger, waiting for the elcor to show himself. "How much are you offering?"

"Hopeful: I can transfer a sum of five million credits to your account immediately, human." The elcor wisely stayed behind the corner of the wall.

Jasmine sighed, she wasn't going to get him out in the open; she needed to move. "That might buy your freedom, but what about the others?" She stood slowly keeping her eye on the corner as she made her way over the rafters, moving as quietly as possible. She wanted him talking, because as long as he talked, he wouldn't be listening for her movements.

"Regretfully: I can only buy my own freedom. Optimistically: I am sure others would be willing to negotiate for their own lives." The elcor shifted just enough she could've hit him from her previous location though, it likely wouldn't have done much more than knick his hide and send him back into cover.

She settled down onto the beam, eyeing the elcor across the way, his head still turned toward her last location listening for her response. Jasmine pulled her sniper rifle up and pressed her eye to the scope, lining up her shot. "What about those hanar in the basement? What are their lives worth?"

The elcor's head started to turn to the sound of her voice. Jasmine waited until he nearly looked right at her and squeezed the trigger. The bullet struck him between the eyes, ripping through hide, fat, muscle, and bone before entering his cranial cavity. A perfect kill shot on just about anyone else, but miraculously little more than a stunning blow to an elcor.

The elcor stumbled back, swaying on his feet as Jasmine readied the next shot. Her heart pounding against her rib cage as she watched the wounded elcor flounder. He turned, preparing to flee as she leveled her crosshairs and pulled the trigger again, catching him in his throat. Blood, thick and red spurted from his neck, splattering to the floor beneath his feet. He gasped for air, stumbling again. His hind leg came down in the pool of blood, sending his thick legs slipping and sprawling.

Breaking bone cracked the silence as his weight collapsed, falling down on one leg at just the wrong angle. She loaded another shot, moving her sniper rifle to accommodate his new location. Settling her crosshairs on the exposed underbelly, she let off another round to rip through the softer tissue and embed itself in the elcor's heart. Finally, blessedly, he stopped moving.

* * *

Watching the light slip out of the elcor's eyes stirred up memories Jasmine couldn't fight as she made her way down from the rafters. The first time a target stared into her eyes, as they waited for death to claim them, left a scar that never healed. That night may have been the biggest driving force behind her dedication to becoming a proficient sniper.

From her perch, her targets rarely if ever saw her before they died. As a sniper, her targets rarely died suffering. Not Quin'Nal vas Usela, though. Nal died so, so slow. Humans, being the newest species to enter galactic civilization drew the curiosity of all the races; quarians being no exception. The quarian chose Earth, and settled in among the humans to start her Pilgrimage.

She should've been shown the best humanity had to offer, but instead the people of Earth left her on her own to find the worst. Nal made her way to Beijing, where she got swept up in the city's boom of drug trafficking and politi-corporate corruption. It brought out the darkness in her, and after two years Nal managed to work her way to the top, using her superior tech skills and understanding of galactic politics to make millions of credits. She was, for a short time, quite possibly one of the most powerful quarians in existence.

The Alliance tried to convince Nal to leave Earth; everything short of begging and ordering, but she refused. Fearful of a war breaking out with a species they still didn't completely understand, and so soon on the heels of the First Contact War, the Alliance opted to deal with her through other means. The order came down to Jasmine to make it look as if the quarian had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. A mugging gone wrong, or gang violence would do. They were the standard for that area.

Leon took her to Beijing and set her up in a nearby hotel. He stood by her while she stalked the quarian, judged her methods, taught her new tactics, all the while molding her into something useful to the Alliance. He watched from the shadows when she made her move, approaching the quarian at twilight. Jasmine waited for Nal to pass through the park on her way to the skycar parking garage. Jasmine hesitated, glancing over her shoulder at Leon, seeking out his encouragement from the shadows. If he saw her need, he gave her no indication.

Jasmine approached her target head on, smiling and nodding to the quarian as she passed her by. She waited until the quarian completely turned her back before attacking from behind, hitting her over the head with the butt of her pistol. She fell to the sidewalk, her mask shattering against the concrete, driving shards of her visor into her face. Her beautiful, angelic face, with eyes reflecting the dwindling light of the setting sun back at Jasmine, their eyes locked on to one another. Nal coughed and gasped, choking on her own blood. A trillion germs already attacking her fragile immune system. Nothing could be done, it was too late for Jasmine to change her mind.

Shaking, she lifted her omni-tool and took the still dying woman's picture. Tears welled up in Jasmine's eyes, spilling down her face when the woman tried to beg for mercy. Jasmine squatted next to her, shoving her grasping hand away and flipped the quarian on her back to rifle through her pockets. She needed to make it look right. If the cops found nothing missing … there'd be questions. More importantly, she wanted to do it exactly the way Leon said. She wanted to make him proud.

"Why?" Nal choked out.

Jasmine fought back the tears and bit the inside of her cheek, shaking her head. Her eyes locked on to the quarian's as they grew dimmer. "You should've left. They told you to leave. You should've left. God, why didn't you just listen?"

* * *

Thane looked up at the subject of so much recent frustration as she took her eye away from the scope of her sniper rifle. He stayed in the shadows where she couldn't see him, a floor below her, listening to the elcor attempt to bargain for his life. He remained silent, his stomach writhing as she questioned the value of the hanar to the elcor, her voice carrying a cold edge he didn't recall ever having heard there before.

Unblinking, he watched her take her first shot.

_Is this how she intends to prove herself?_

Jasmine reloaded, took aim, and fired again. The sound of bone cracking loud enough to echo off the walls reached his ears.

_She would risk her life for this? For her pride?_

Thane bowed his head, backing away as she lined up a third shot, knowing it'd mean the end of suffering for the elcor in her sights. They were not his kills, but he'd offer up prayer to Kalahira on Jasmine's behalf. Then, he'd beg forgiveness for being the one who led her there. He didn't expect her to follow him, she had no contract for Felton, he'd made sure of it before he began watching the estate. Beleno assured him the Alliance held no knowledge, no open investigations, or past inquiries of any sort into the elcor slaver.

_She shouldn't be here._

Thane moved away, searching out the door leading to the basement. There'd be two more elcor waiting for him downstairs. After killing Felton, Thane moved back to the staff quarters, spooking frightened humans and asari back into their rooms before they saw him and locked the doors behind them. Nothing suggested they were involved, and nothing suggested anyone other than Felton and his four elcor guards would need to die that night.

Thane stopped, listening at the door. Surely the sound of Jasmine's sniper rifle reached those downstairs. They'd be waiting for him now, protecting their investments. There were no other options, no other points of entry. Opening his omni-tool, he scanned the door for explosives and found none.

Making his way through the door, Thane pressed his back against the rounded wall, following it as the elongated, shallow stairs wrapped around, spiraling into the basement. He stopped to listen when voices drifted up the stairs.

"Don't give me that shit, Mike. Look at 'em, they're not _people_ they're goddamn talking animals. That's it. For fucksake, they don't even have eyes." The voice grew louder, moving toward the stairs. "They're too damaged, they don't have any value anymore. Now do what Petonan said and kill them, or I'll kill you and take your fucking share."

Fury, hot and blinding burned through Thane for one endless heartbeat and then disappeared. He didn't need to hear anything else. It didn't matter that he didn't know who these others were. They'd made their intentions clear, and he wouldn't hesitate.

"Where are you going?!" This voice, like the first sounded human.

"Where the hell does it look like I'm going? Someone's up there shooting, and I can't get either Sanrot or Eklazi to answer the comm." The voice moved closer to Thane, just a meter or so away, the speaker already on the stairs.

Thane's hands darted out, wrapping around the human's head and chin the second he stepped into sight. He twisted the man's neck to the side before jerking it back the other way, feeling the grinding of bone reverberating through his hands and arms. The human died before having the chance to call out to his companion. Thane laid the man's body down on the stairs, careful to keep him out of sight.

He moved down the steps a little further, stopping when he could see the room ahead around the bend. Another human stood with his back to Thane a few meters in, and beyond him a dozen hanar, shackles leading from their tentacles secured to the wall. The man paced, shaking his head and muttering in agitation as he steeled himself for the task at hand. Thane moved down, peering around the edge.

At the far end of the room, two more elcor stood, their heads close together as they discussed something among themselves next to a closed door. Four more humans stood near the elcor, their guns angled at the staircase. A few evenly spaced columns the only source of cover Thane would have once he entered the room.

The hanar cowered together, pressing in on one another for support. Some trying desperately to hide behind the others until one spotted Thane at the foot of the stairs. He knew the moment they saw him, because like a wildfire they burst into light, brilliant, high-frequency bioluminescence screaming at him to save them. Thane drew his pistol, lifting a finger to his lips in the now galactic-wide symbol of silence before pulling biotic energy around his fist.

"Stop that. What are you doing? Hey, what the fuck are they doing?" Panic took over the voice of the man in front of Thane. He looked to the others across the room, drawing their attention away from the stairwell.

"They're just talking to each other, Mike. Hey, you'd better get on it before Jeff gets back." The crowd of men laughed with one another.

The one called Mike snarled, turning back to the hanar and raised his gun. Thane flung the biotics out at Mike, not waiting for them to hit before darting into the room, firing at the group of armed men as he sought cover behind the closest column. The biotic Throw found it's target, lifting Mike of his feet and flinging him across the room to slam into the wall behind the hanar. The room erupted into chaos, bullets aimed at Thane urged him to move faster. The hanar, barely able to move within their confines did their best to keep the man from getting back to his feet.

Thane reached the first column, an irritating sting at his shoulder telling him he'd been hit. He glanced down, finding nothing more than a graze slowly leaking blood, he turned his attention back to the battle. He peered around the column, pleased to see the humans' felt confident enough in their numbers to move in closer, attempting to flank him from either side. It would make his job easier. Thane raised his pistol, landing a headshot on the first man to round the row of columns, his assault rifle raised.

Thane spun, his biotics flaring to life again as he rolled to the side, avoiding the two men on his right. His eyes barely registered another figure moving down the foot of the stairs as he came out of the roll, pressing his back against the other side of the column. Thane flung the biotic energy out, dropping Mike—who'd managed to get to his feet and free of the hanar with only mild burns across his face and hands—back to the ground with a Warp.

The elcors bellowed, charging forward with their heads down. Thane had time, he raised his pistol, prepared to shoot the second man flanking from the far side of the basement. The hanars' bioluminescence flared in his peripheral, warning him of a new threat; a human female on the stairs behind him. The sharp, single shot, cracks of another pistol tore through the air, but Thane didn't turn to look. Even as he heard the staccato sound of assault rifles returning fire.

His target stepped into his line of sight and Thane pulled the trigger, firing another as the man hit the floor. He pivoted, firing a shot into the back of Mike's head as the human struggled to his feet. Turning, he ran, emptying his pistol into one of the elcor as he closed the distance.

* * *

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._

Jasmine pressed her back against the stairwell wall. Her chest heaving, she flinched when bullets peppered the stairs centimeters from her feet.

_Jesus Christ, my training did_ not _cover this. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Holy shit, what's he doing?_

Jasmine waited for a break in the fire, leaning out just enough to let off a few rounds far more haphazardly than she was proud of. Still, she hit her targets even if their armor absorbed most of her shots. She caught sight of Thane meeting the elcor head on, a long dagger in his hand before return fire chased her back into cover.

_He's going to get himself killed!_

Jasmine took a deep breath, calming her racing heart and ducked out again. Steadying her hand she took a fraction of a second to actually aim and squeezed the trigger. Her shot caught one of the guards just below his eye, sending him reeling back screaming in agony. She stepped back behind the wall, waiting for the flurry of assault rifle fire to die down again. Moving out of cover once more, a bullet grazed her thigh, tearing through her jeans. Jasmine hissed, jerking her buckling knee back into place and shot the man high in his forehead.

She limped forward, firing into both fallen guards' heads just to be sure. She raised her gun leveling it at the second elcor, who'd managed to get behind Thane, in the process of rearing back on hind legs. She pulled the trigger, catching the elcor in his hip. She pulled the trigger again and her gun clicked in response; empty.

_Shit._

Jasmine expelled the empty clip and unzipped her jacket pocket, digging out another as the elcor turned his attention to her instead. Head lowered, the elcor charged her. They weren't a fast moving species, but he moved faster than she cared to gamble with. Jasmine backed up, meeting wall as she slammed the clip into place and raised her pistol again, firing off two more rounds. The enraged elcor didn't slow as the bullets hit him in the shoulder.

Nearly close enough that he'd splatter her against the wall with his massive size, Jasmine had no choice but to side step to the stairs, moving up the broad steps backwards, praying she didn't stumble. She fired again, and again, but the elcor kept coming. Her heel hit the back of a step, fire lanced through her thigh as her leg suddenly refused to support her weight. She fell, slamming her knee into the stone steps. Thrown off balance, she had to catch herself before she tumbled forward right into the rampaging elcor. Seeing the perfect opening, he pushed himself, picking up speed. Just as he reached Jasmine, still down on one knee, he lifted himself up on hind legs, ready to crush the life out of her.

She threw herself back, her ribs slamming against the edge of the next step as she rolled out of the way. The elcor landed; muscular limbs barely missing her. Jasmine thought she heard the stone crack next to her head. The elcor lifted his left front leg, centimeters from her face. Jasmine rolled under the raised leg, putting herself under the elcor and lifted her pistol, firing off a shot before scrambling back. She pulled herself up the next step with her elbows, pushing off the elcor with her feet.

He bellowed in pain, lunging forward and slamming his massive head and shoulders into Jasmine. Her entire right side bashed against the wall, splitting open her lower lip and instantly swelling her cheek and eye. Darkness surrounded Jasmine, her head spinning, and for a second she thought she might vomit. Whimpering, she struggled to push herself away from the elcor.

She heard a gun fire and when the haze cleared enough for her to see the elcor's face, his eyes bulging with shock. His leg buckled, his weight falling on his right side. Jasmine pushed herself further back, her lower body still stretched between the elcor's front legs. Another shot and he gasped, his breath hot and rancid in her face. Jasmine lifted her trembling hand, ramming the barrel of her pistol in his eye and pulled the trigger.

The force of the bullet slamming through his skull rocked his massive weight back to slowly crumple and fall back down the stairs. She closed her eyes, choking back the sob wanting to escape her throat. Hot tears seeped through the edges of her eyelids. Jasmine let herself collapse on the step, her heart trying to rip it's way free of her chest, every beat throbbing in her face. Each ragged breath she sucked in sent fresh shocks of pain through her ribs. Unconsciousness loomed on the horizon, whispering to her with promises of a place where she'd feel no pain.

Something moved above her. She raised her gun before she could even open her eyes. A hand swift yet gentle grabbed her wrist, pushing her gun aside. Her eyes opened, blinking furiously to clear her vision. Thane hovered over her, his eyes bottomless black pools, his lips pressed tight in a frown. For a moment, she couldn't understand why he was there. Losing focus, he split into two in front of her eyes, wavering before the images coalesced before her once more.

"Shepard?" His hand moved into her field of vision, fingertips hovering over her swollen face but not making contact. He pulled his hand back. "Can you stand?"

Jasmine started to roll to her side, pulling her elbow in beneath her to push up, but stopped, gasping at the hot poker lodged in her ribs. Thane slid a hand under her arm, trying to help her to her feet, but she rolled to her back and swatted his hand away.

"The hanar?" Her voice cracked, tickling her throat and forcing her to suppress a cough.

Thane turned, looking back over his shoulder. "They're safe now." He looked back at her, concern showing on his features for the span of two heartbeats. "Let me help you up."

"Just give me a minute. Go, go help them. I'll be fine." Jasmine put a hand on his chest, pushing him until he relented and moved back from her.

Thane hesitated, lingering a step below her until she forced herself to smirk and wave him off. He turned, moving down the steps to climb over the dead elcor at the bottom. Jasmine licked her cut lip, feeling the gash with the tip of her tongue. She sucked in a deep breath and pushed herself over to her side, clenching her jaw to fight off the scream of agony.

She pulled herself to her feet, her free hand pressed against the wall to keep her from falling while she swayed, fighting to regain her equilibrium. Her other arm hung limply at her side, her grip loose on her pistol. Jasmine glanced down into the basement, watching Thane as he worked to free the hanar. Her gaze shifted, landing on the elcor at the bottom of the stairs. She let her eyes roam, taking in the scattered corpses seen from her vantage point. She remembered the other elcor corpses, waiting to be acknowledged by the living, upstairs. So much death. So much suffering.

Jasmine turned, taking slow, cautious steps as she made her way upstairs. She dragged herself through the halls until she made her way to the kitchen. She stumbled, slamming her hand down on a counter to keep from falling. Catching sight of a first aid kit on the wall next to the refrigeration unit, Jasmine limped her way to the white box.

Disappointed when she only found a mostly empty tube of Medi-gel, she decided it was better than nothing. Pulling the box with her back to the metal island, she dropped it on the counter. Opening the tube of Medi-gel, she slathered it over her face and lip with trembling fingers. Tears stung at her eyes as numbness washed over face, making her want to sob all over again.

Jasmine pulled a chair over, carefully lowering herself down to the seat. She grabbed the scissors, cutting away a swath of her jeans. Squeezing the tube of Medi-gel with as much force as she could muster, she smoothed the last few drops over the shallow gash in her leg. It wouldn't be enough to completely stop the bleeding, let alone close the wound. She just needed to make it back to her apartment, and she'd be fine.

Jasmine pressed a piece of gauze to the wound, ripping off pieces of medical tape with her teeth to secure the gauze. She pushed herself to her feet again, swaying gently at the sudden rush of blood from her head. Leaning her hip against the counter, she tried to work her jacket off, being mindful of her ribs but it just wasn't working.

"Fuck." Jasmine hissed through clenched teeth.

The sound of someone clearing their throat made Jasmine grab her pistol from the counter as her head jerked toward the noise. Thane stood in the kitchen doorway, remaining motionless as he watched her, until she lowered the gun once more. She pressed her knuckles into the counter, pulling some of the weight off of her ribs and let her head drop in defeat.

"If you're looking for Medi-gel, there wasn't much up here. And it's gone now. Sorry." Jasmine lifted her head to meet his gaze.

Thane crossed the kitchen, rounding the island to stand next to her. "Allow me?" He gestured at her jacket.

Jasmine clenched her jaw, wanting to tell him to fuck off but the pain wouldn't let her say the words. Instead, she nodded her head and let him slip the jacket down over her shoulders, hating that she needed his help.

Thane looked her over, moving to her other side to be sure. "I see no blood, no wounds?"

"Cracked ribs." Jasmine dug through the pile, retrieving the roll of compression bandage and setting it back down in front of her.

She refused to look at him, knowing what needed to happen next. She released the clip on the strap securing her sniper rifle to her back, and wordlessly, Thane slipped it away. She watched his hands as he settled it down gently to the counter, treating her weapon with as much respect as she would've. Grateful she'd worn a button up blouse, instead of a pull over, Jasmine set to work undoing the buttons. Her jaw clenched again when she felt his fingers slip inside the collar of her shirt. Dropping her arms to her sides in resignation, she let him pull the shirt free, leaving her standing in her bra.

She watched him from her peripheral as he laid the shirt down next to her jacket and picked up the bandage, keeping his eyes averted. Jasmine held her arms out to her sides, as far as her injuries allowed, when he moved behind her. Touching her as little as necessary, Thane wound the bandage around her ribcage, testing the tension of the material as he went. He secured the bandage at her side before helping her back into her shirt.

Jasmine turned to face him, dragging her jacket down from the counter as she went. "Thanks," she muttered.

He dipped his head to her, the smirk she expected to see absent from his face. "You're welcome."

"Are your people coming for them?" Jasmine shifted her weight when her the dull ache in her thigh turned to a throb. She holstered her pistol, and let Thane help her secure her sniper rifle, wrapping the strap over her shoulder where she snapped it back into place.

"I have contacted them, yes. I will stay as long as I can, help as many of the hanar as I can until Beleno arrives." Thane gestured to her jacket, helping her put it back on when she nodded in agreement. "Or until C-Sec arrives."

"I have to go. I can't be seen here. I shouldn't be here." Jasmine started for the door.

Thane turned to watch her progress. "Indeed."

Jasmine's lips twitched in a half-smile. "We can discuss it another time, perhaps over _cinuela_ and chocolate."

"You're certain you can make it home?" Thane asked.

"Believe it or not, I've been through worse." Jasmine stepped out of the back door and into the dimmed lights of the Citadel, leaving Thane behind.


	9. Anala D'nalas

**A/N:** Ares is the original creation of [squiggly_squid](http://archiveofourown.org/users/squiggly_squid/pseuds/squiggly_squid) for the 'Targeted Interference' and 'Assassins Unveiled' fics. Dialogue, descriptions, and actions of Ares are adapted from conversations with squiggly_squid and used with their permission.

**Anala D'nalas**

Jasmine rolled over, groaning as pain lanced through her ribs and face. Memories of the night before swept over her like reminders of a bad dream, taunting her waking conscious before fading. She pushed back the covers, sitting up and swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Another ring of her door's buzzer followed by a knock reminded her why she was awake. Whoever it was, they sure were persistent. Wincing, she lifted her pistol from her nightstand.

Growling and muttering obscenities with each step, Jasmine made her way to the door and activated the vid screen. Thane stood outside, not as ardently avoiding the camera as he had before. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and glanced at her omni-tool, expecting to see that it was the middle of the night. The time display read thirteen hundred hours.

"Shit." Jasmine pushed the intercom button. "Go away." She didn't care that her voice croaked, her throat raw and dry as scorched earth.

Thane looked up at the camera, the light of the hall shining through the darkness to show her the brilliant emerald of his eyes. His lips turned down at the corners, practically a scream of disapproval on his normally reserved face. "Your lack of manners remains intact, I see."

Jasmine scoffed, pushing the button again. "Let me lick my wounds in private. I need alcohol and sleep, not arrogance and criticism. You can yell at me for getting in your way later."

"As you wish." Thane turned to walk away.

"Wait!" Jasmine's tongue darted out, running over her tender lip and coming away with the sharp tang of blood.

Thane turned back to the camera, his brows quirked in question. The picture of calm, if she'd pissed him off by intervening at Felton's estate, she couldn't tell. Not that it mattered, she went there to help the hanar. So what if it upset him, he would've gotten himself killed going in there alone and the hanar would be the ones to suffer for it.

Her throat ached at the thought of the hanar in Felton's basement. She knew she didn't even see the worst of it, leaving before she'd seen behind the door in the basement. Burning, her eyes threatened to let go of another flood of tears. She swallowed, forcing the question out anyway. "How are they?"

Thane lowered his eyes, seeming to study his feet for a long moment before he answered. "A few were beyond help, they have gone to the sea. Most of them are recovering, however, and will soon be well enough to return to Kahje."

"The investigation?" Jasmine leaned her weight against the wall, filing away his reference to the sea for later evaluation.

Thane looked down the hall both ways. Stepping closer to the intercom, he dropped his voice. "Ongoing. Though, I don't think anyone will be looking very deeply. There has been significant media coverage, but the focus is on Felton's crimes, and not his death." He rubbed the back of his thumb over his jaw and looked up at the camera again. "The hanar all claim to not know who saved them. They won't speak of you."

"Thank you. I need to lay back down. I'll uh, I'll get in touch with you when I'm back on my feet." Jasmine pushed away from the wall, testing her weight on her injured leg. A dull throb greeted her efforts.

Thane dipped his head at the camera and walked away. Jasmine's fingers itched to press the intercom again and call him back, instead she pushed them down to her side. She hobbled around the apartment, first to the bathroom—where she avoided her reflection in the mirror, not wanting to know how bad she looked—then to the refrigerator. Returning to her bed with a take-home container of day old sausage and pancakes wedged against her hip, a bottle of rum tucked under her arm, and her pistol hanging loosely in her grip, Jasmine set everything down on her nightstand. Easing back to her mattress, she propped her pillows up behind her and pulled her breakfast over to her lap.

She opened her omni-tool first, and placed a call to Geoffrey. When his face popped up on the screen, his smile faded instantly and his eyes grew twice their size.

_Well I guess that answers that question._

"I'll be right there," Geoffrey said before Jasmine could speak.

Snorting, she shook her head. "Don't bother, I won't get out of bed to let you in. It's not as bad as it looks, I promise."

"What happened?" The mask of steel slid over his face, smoothing out the laugh lines and giving a cold edge to his eyes.

"Nothing I can talk about." Jasmine shifted, trying to find a comfortable position. "Nothing you can talk about. I'll be alright, but I don't want Rift to see me for a day or two." She pointed to her bruised face. "Not until this fades a little. Will you tell him I don't feel well, and I'll catch up with the two of you in a day or so?"

Geoffrey nodded. "I've got to report back to Earth in a week, Jasmine. I don't know if he's ready for that."

The disappointment on his face pricked at her heart and twisted her guts."Have you brought it up at all yet?" Jasmine opened the takeout box, folding a dry pancake in half with her fingers and taking a bite.

He shook his head, rubbing his brow. "I think it might be best if he hears the idea first from you. I was hoping we could discuss it with him today. He really looks up to you, you know?"

Jasmine took her time chewing the pancake, letting his words settle down on her shoulders with the weight of responsibility. She wasn't a good role model for the kid, he had to see that. Setting it back down in the box, she grabbed the bottle of rum and wedged it between her thighs, using her free hand to twist the top off. Drinking straight from the bottle, she washed down the pancake, ignoring Geoffrey's chastising scoff.

"Which is half the reason why he's better off leaving the Citadel with you." Jasmine grinned, tipping back the bottle again.

Geoffrey shook his head and snorted, a habit he'd picked up from Jasmine long ago. Letting his features soften, he let out a sigh of resignation and smiled. "Alright, alright. I'll see how things go today. He wanted to eat at Le Bleu. You've really got the kid hooked on that place."

"That's because they've got the best food on the Citadel." Jasmine picked up the sausage to emphasize her point, taking a bite before dropping it back in the box bearing Le Bleu's logo.

"They should pay you for the advertisement, or at least give you a discount," Geoffrey said.

"Maybe I'll run that by them the next time I'm there." She chased the sausage with rum. "My name is Jasmine Shepard and this is my favorite restaurant on the Citadel!"

Geoffrey tilted his head back in laughter. Hearing him warmed her, feeling like home. It eased some of the ache and emptiness in Jasmine's heart, reminding her that there was still someone alive who loved her. She grinned and quaffed the rum before screwing the lid back on, setting it on her nightstand.

"I'll check in with you tomorrow, Geoffrey. I'm going to see if I can get back to sleep," Jasmine said.

Geoffrey nodded, sobering up. "Sweet dreams, kiddo. Talk to you tomorrow."

Jasmine gave him one last smile before closing her omni-tool. She took a few more bites from the take out box before dumping it in the trash, and another hearty swallow of the rum before sticking it back in the refrigerator. She knew she should apply more Medi-gel to her face, at least, but she wasn't done wallowing in her self-loathing. Crawling back into bed, the warmth of the rum spreading through her body numbing the pain, Jasmine pulled the covers back over her and fell right back to sleep.

* * *

She woke up the middle of the next day and stayed in bed staring at the ceiling. Prodding her face gingerly, she noted with indifference that the swelling had completely subsided, and it only hurt when she pushed too hard. She ran her tongue over her lip, finding the cut all but completely gone. Her ribs still ached when she moved, but it was a dull pain, one that urged caution but wouldn't hinder her too much.

Jasmine sighed, it was time for her to get out of bed and rejoin the living. She snorted, grinning at the irony even as the wound on her lip cracked in retaliation. Running her tongue over it and finding blood again, she sighed and threw the covers off. Sitting up in the bed, she peeled the bandage away from her thigh and balled it up. Still tender, but lacking any real redness or heat to the touch, Jasmine was content knowing it hadn't become infected with her lack of care.

She made her way into the bathroom and stripped out of her clothes. Removing the bandage from her ribs, she stepped into the shower to fiddle with the knobs until she got the temperature just right. Turning her back to the steaming hot spray of water, Jasmine groaned and lifted her arm against the shower wall to rest her head on.

"It was the right thing." Her voice lost to the sound of the shower, Jasmine spoke louder, needing to hear the words herself. Desperate to hear the truth in her own voice. "There was no easy way. But it was the right thing. And Nal was long, long ago."

She closed her eyes, squeezing them tight against the memory of the quarian's face. Instead, Leon's face filled her mind. The look of confusion, rejection glazing his eyes when Jasmine refused his advances that night. She didn't understand then how he could just go on as if nothing out of the ordinary happened, when not two hours before she'd beat a woman to death and stole her credits. Jasmine never even stooped that low for a hit of red sand, although there had been times she'd been close.

She understood now, he went on because he had to. It was a part of the job; as necessary as maintaining your weapons, and observing your surroundings. Jasmine learned in time, but there were still times she couldn't just walk away when the job was done. Those targets stayed with her for days, sometimes even weeks. Nal though, she'd been haunting Jasmine for years.

Nowadays, most jobs didn't phase her in the slightest. She did what needed to be done and went on about her day. Occasionally, the Alliance would force her out of her comfort zone and into a position where she had to get close to a target in order to kill them. More than once they'd asked her to seduce a politician and slip something in his drink while he was distracted by her chest. She'd been ordered to slit the throat of a batarian slaver. They wanted her to hang a man in his home while his wife did the shopping so it looked like he killed himself. Those were the times Jasmine had trouble, those were the times when she couldn't just shut it off and move on. It was different, up close and personal. Dirtier.

She shuddered, grabbing the shampoo off the shower rack. It wasn't an easy task, unable to lift her right arm very far, but Jasmine managed. Lathering and rinsing her hair, she washed the memories down the drain along with the suds. Jasmine tried to understand why Thane actually prefered to be close to his targets, but she couldn't. It killed her to look her targets in the eyes.

_Must be why he prays for them after. Maybe I should do the same._

Jasmine finished her shower and sat on the edge of the toilet, spreading Medi-gel over the bullet graze on her thigh. Once it was rebandaged, she rewrapped her ribs and got dressed. She had an ice cream date with her two favorite guys, and she didn't want to miss it.

* * *

It was past time he moved to a new location. He'd allowed himself to become distracted with Jasmine, and his routine destroyed. He needed to remember who he was; what he was. If the gods truly willed her in his life, she would contact him again as she said. She had his extranet address, there was no need for her to have his physical address as well. He made sure her role in Felton's death wouldn't be discovered, and he assured himself she hadn't died from her injuries sustained that night; he'd fulfilled his obligation.

Thane rubbed at the dull ache deep in his chest.

_So why am I still thinking about her?_

He forwarded a full week's rent to his landlord along with a message informing of his intent to vacate. Gathering the few personal items he kept with him, Thane left the apartment and hailed a taxi to take him to his new apartment.

* * *

Rift lifted the spoon to his mouth, flipping it upside down at the last second. Slurping, he sucked the ice cream off the spoon before stabbing it back into the scoop in the bowl. He looked at Jasmine, the doubt filling his eyes making her second guess herself.

She took a bite of her ice cream and lifted an eyebrow. "You don't have to go if you don't want too, Rift. But give it some thought. You'd have a roof over your head, clean clothes that fit, food in your stomach, a soft bed to sleep in … and best of all a family who loves you."

"But what about you and Sere Krios and Mouse and Talak and Mila and all the others?" Rift's brow furrowed, creating little lines of worry in his forehead.

"Well, I can vidcall you and I'm sure Geoffrey wouldn't mind if you wanted to call your friends, too. I'd come to visit when I could, you know, I'd have to make sure that they were feeding you plenty of french fries." Jasmine smiled when she caught the twinkle of interest in his eyes.

"And we could come visit Mouse and the others sometimes, too." Geoffrey leaned forward, using a napkin to wipe a chocolate smear from Rift's cheek.

"But not Sere Krios?" Rift titled his head to the side, catching Jasmine's omission. "I think he's still mad at me for telling you. Jasmine, does Sere Krios not like me anymore?"

Jasmine's stomach soured. She could almost hear the sound of her heart cracking inside her chest. She cleared her throat and set down her spoon, leaning forward to put herself a little closer to Rift's level, despite the protest of her ribs. "I think Sere Krios has just been preoccupied, Rift. I don't think he's mad at you at all. And if he were here right now, I'm sure he'd tell you the same thing."

Rift screwed up his face in confusion. "What's preoccupied mean?"

Geoffrey laughed. "It just means he's been really busy. I'm sure that this Sere Krios will find some time to call you, too."

Jasmine sucked air in between her teeth, just loud enough for the man sitting right next to her to hear. Geoffrey turned to look at her, his smile faltering for a second. Jasmine's shoulder twitched in a half-shrug. Even if she told Thane that it wouldn't affect their agreement, something told her the drell wouldn't be too interested in keeping in contact with Rift.

She sat back and picked up her spoon. "I'll definitely talk to him about it the next time I see him."

Rift sat back, playing with his ice cream while he thought about it. After a moment he looked up at Geoffrey, tilting his head to the side and lifting both of his eyebrows. "And you would be my dad?"

Geoffrey nodded. "I'd like to be, if you're okay with that."

Jasmine's heart skipped a beat.

"And I would have a mom?" Rift's hand paused in the air above his bowl, letting ice cream fall from his spoon back into the dish.

Jasmine grinned, nodding her head. "And sisters."

"Sisters?" Rift pulled his head back, not sure what to make of that one.

Geoffrey held up three fingers. "Three of them. Four if you count Jasmine, but she smells funny so we don't count her."

* * *

Jasmine sat at the table in her sad excuse for a kitchen pouring her second glass of rum. She was really starting to hate her apartment, but she'd stayed out of stubbornness and spite … and because of Rift. Now he was leaving. God, but she was so happy for him, he'd have everything he needed and he might just have a chance at living a normal, healthy, happy life. He was still so young, it wasn't too late for him.

_I'm going to miss him, though. Miss him like crazy._

Jasmine opened her omni-tool and placed a vidcall to Karin. The last few days had hit her hard, and although she'd been fighting the urge to look into who on the Citadel could supply her with red sand, she knew she couldn't keep fighting on her own. If she wasn't careful, with the amount of alcohol she'd been drinking, she might find herself with a whole new addiction.

The call rang and rang. After the fifth ring, Jasmine cut the connection. She glanced at the time. It was the middle of the day on Earth; Karin must be at work. Scraping her teeth over the dead skin built up around her split lip, she promised herself she'd try again later. Opening her laptop, she logged into ' _Assassins Unveiled'_ hoping to find a little distraction. It was going to be a long night.

After spending the last few nights letting herself get lost in the antics of ' _ThisGuy800'_ she found herself seeking him out. She'd suspected there was something more to the man behind the username for a while, especially after he slipped and got a little too real responding to a post about the suspicious death of an asari named Anala D'nalas. It raised a red flag for Jasmine, and she started paying a little closer attention to what the user wasn't saying as much as he was.

She worked her way through her second and third drinks, finding her mood only worsening. Jasmine decided she needed to get out of the apartment for awhile; do something normal, something social instead of wallowing in her grief. Maybe it was just the alcohol talking, or maybe it was that little voice in the back of her head telling her that one hit of red sand wouldn't be all that bad, but Jasmine knew she didn't really want to be alone.

She thought about going to find Thane, give him the chance to yell at her afterall. Then, when he was done telling her how loud and sloppy she'd been, maybe she'd convince him to make her some tea. If she tried hard enough, Jasmine felt sure she could get him to relax enough to just talk like normal people. If she got lucky, she'd get to see that smile he showed her just before the connection to his omni-tool cut out.

_No. That's a bad idea. That's a terrible idea. Terrible, stupid idea._

Jasmine stared at ' _ThisGuy800's'_ last post for a minute, tapping her fingertips against the table. She drained the last of her rum and clicked on his username, taking her to his profile. Of course, it said little to nothing about him, and she was certain that it was all crap. As much crap as what was on her own profile. She pursed her lips and clicked on the private message icon.

_This is a terrible idea, too._

For some reason, she just couldn't find it in herself to care. Not with the way she felt.

" _Hey. Are you on the Citadel?"_ Jasmine hit send before she could change her mind.

A few seconds later his response came. " _And what if I'm not on the Citadel? What if I'm relaxing on a nice nude beach? ;)"_

" _Well, I'll be in Chora's Den in an hour blowing off steam. If you happen to get your ass there, I'm buying."_ Jasmine blew out a breath, resting her chin on her palm. Most nights his banter amused her, tonight it fell flat. She hoped he was a little more serious in person.

" _Chora's? Why didn't you say so? I'll find us a table."_

Jasmine thought about it for a moment, nervousness stirring to life in the pit of her stomach like waves crashing against the shore. It really was a stupid idea, but with the way she'd been racking up points in the stupid column lately, one more wouldn't make much of a difference. " _Far corner booth is my usual. They know me well enough there. Just drinks. That's it."_

" _I'll leave the whips and handcuffs behind, don't worry. Just drinks,"_ he said.

" _See you in an hour."_ Jasmine closed the laptop before she could tell him she'd changed her mind.

_Christ what am I doing? Don't suppose it's too late to go see Krios instead. Hell, maybe I should just skip the both of them and go find someone who's selling and tuck myself back in an alley somewhere … fuck._

Jasmine growled at herself and pushed her chair away from the table to run a brush through her hair, pulling it back up into a ponytail. Glancing at the mirror to check out how bad the damage was to her face, she shook her head and headed for the door.

_Just drinks. Not trying to impress the guy._

* * *

She scoped out the club from the bar, taking in the figure occupying the far corner booth as discreetly as she could. He certainly didn't give her much to work with, especially in the dim light of Chora's Den. She could tell he was turian, despite the dark jacket and hood so deep it all but completely hid his face. The shadows took care of what little did show, but it was the distinct points of a crest beneath his hood, the raised ridge of a carapace, and the three taloned hand wrapped around his glass that gave it away.

He'd said he was turian on ' _Assassins Unveiled'_ but she had no real reason to believe it wasn't fabrication. At least no one else in the bar seemed to be paying him any attention, aside from the occasional dancer to glance his way, probably debating whether the potential tips were worth approaching Mr. Tall Dark and Creepy.

Jasmine broke away from the bar, pushing away the last vestiges of doubt. She considered rounding it to approach him from behind, but if her suspicions were right, that would get them off on the wrong foot. She didn't need anymore tension tonight. Instead, she made her way straight to the table with her head up, and arms relaxed at her sides. Of course, she could easily draw her pistol from her back and put a bullet between his eyes if she wanted. Or crouch down and pull a knife from her boot, flinging it through the air to embed in his throat before the thought of whether or not it was a good idea ever crossed her mind.

If he was who she thought he was, he knew it just as well. And if he was who she thought he was, he could have a weapon in his hand just as swiftly. Whether or not they could wasn't the point, though. It was what the gesture implied, the same thing that his empty hands pressed to the surface of the table broadcasted; that neither of them intended to. The symbolism.

His head shifted, and she could feel his eyes watching her approach, standing the fine hairs at the nape of her neck on end. Adrenaline trickled through her veins, the little voice in the back of her head telling her she was in the sights of a predator's gaze; it brought a smirk to her lips. Jasmine slid into the booth opposite him, and turned to sit sideways with her back against the wall. Her ass had barely hit the seat before one of the waitress came to the table, halting any introductions between the two of them. Recognizing the asari, Jasmine offered her a smile. She leered at Jasmine, her eyes roaming over Jasmine's tight jeans and low-cut blouse, and asked if she wanted her usual.

Jasmine winked at her and nodded. "Please."

The turian started to slide a credit chit across the table.

Jasmine cocked her head to the side. "I thought I was buying?"

"You can get the next one. I think you may need it more tonight than I do." His voice grated, deep and gravely when he spoke.

Jasmine snorted and nodded her head at the waitress who accepted the credit chit and left the table. They sat in silence for a moment, both of them sizing the other up. Jasmine caught a hint of badly scarred chin and mandible beneath the hood. Something about the way he sat, the stiffness of his spine and the slight lean, told Jasmine he had a weapons holstered at his back. If he was anything like her, he probably had several on his person.

"Thank you." Jasmine smiled at the asari as she set her glass down on the table in front of her, leaning over enough to give Jasmine a good view of her baby blue décolletage. Tipsy enough to take the asari up on the invite to look, Jasmine took in the sights and smiled appreciatively. One of these nights, she might just take her home. Maybe that would keep her mind from wandering to inappropriate alternatives.

_Is he really so inappropriate?_

Jasmine's jaw clenched at the errant thought, and she shifted it into a smile for the turian's sake, telling herself that it just meant she needed to spend more time around other people. What did she expect when the only adult she said more than two words to in months—other than Geoffrey and people bringing her food and drinks—was Krios?

_And here I am reaching out to 'ThisGuy800'? What the hell am I doing here?_

She picked a napkin up and placed it under her glass before she realized what she was doing. Lifting the glass right back up again in defiance, Jasmine took a sip before giving in and settling it back down on the napkin.

_Damn him. Now I'm picking up his habits?_

Returning her eyes to the turian across from her Jasmine lifted an eyebrow.

_Is he really going to keep that damn hood on the whole time? This ought to be interesting._

He hummed, a low sound barely audible against the thrumming beat of music surrounding them. "I must say, the photo didn't do you justice."

It should alarm her that he recognized her so readily, but instead she snorted softly, a grin cutting across her face. "Yeah, I always look a little better roughed up." She absently touched the healing split in her lip and shook her head, affecting a scowl. "Terrible photo, had to go."

The hooded turian chuckled and reached into his pocket, setting Jasmine's teeth on edge. The hand resting in her lap itched to reach for her pistol, but she made herself relax. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and an old, tarnished lighter. Shaking one out for himself, he offered the pack to Jasmine.

She shook her head, lifting her palm away from her glass to wave away the offer. "I'm good, thanks. I've got my vices, but smoking isn't one of them."

He tucked the pack back into his jacket and ran a talon over the end of the cigarette before settling it between his mouth plates. Propping his elbow on the table, lighter held in front of him ready to light the cigarette, he paused to hum. "I take it those bruises have something to do with you needing to blow off steam?" He flicked the lighter, flinching as it sparked and the flame burst to life.

Catching sight of the scars consuming his face, Jasmine felt her eyebrow twitch. "Mmm. More to do with how they came about, but yeah." She lifted her glass, taking a heavy swallow before staring into the murky liquid; the asari version of a cocktail Jasmine knew as Gunfire, made of rum and black tea. Turning her eyes back to him, she watch for any sign of familiarity; something that would tell her that her next words rang as true for him as they did her. "But more so, ghosts of the past coming back to haunt me. Dead people refusing to stay that way."

He lifted a talon, scratching at his scars in silence. Pulling heavy on his cigarette, he pulled it away from his mouth, ashes falling to the table to be brushed away absently. "How long have you been doing what you do?"

Jasmine snorted softly and looked back to her drink. "A few years." That was the best she could give him, he already knew too much. She shouldn't even be there, she knew nothing about ' _ThisGuy800'_ —whatever the hell his name really was—but if she was going to talk, it was going to be tit for tat. "And you?" She smirked as his mandibles flared, brushing along the sides of his hood.

Taking another drag from his cigarette, he let the smoke trail from his mouth in lazy tendrils, snaking their way up toward the ceiling. "What makes you think we're in the same profession?"

"Mmm. Might have something to do with ' _ThisGuy800'_ suddenly becoming well informed on enhanced scopes, shielded ammunition, and just what effect guns can have on flesh and bone." She lifted her shoulder a hair, cocking her head to the side. "A few other things. So?"

"So?" He flicked a mandible, taunting her.

Jasmine cocked an eyebrow at him, staring him down beneath his hood. "Coy doesn't suit you."

Laughter rumbled through him."Fifteen years." He waved the waitress over, dropping his cigarette but into the empty glass. "You have to make the choice to let them stay dead."

"Start us a tab, on me," Jasmine said to the waitress when she came back to the table.

The asari smiled, pressing her palms into the table to lean a little closer. "Sure thing, but you have to give me your name."

Jasmine smiled. "Give me yours first?"

The asari's grin widened, leaning over to whisper in Jasmine's ear, her breath warm and inviting against Jasmine's neck. "My name's Faline, but you can call me whatever you like."

Jasmine whispered right back, knowing full well the turian sitting less than a meter away could hear every word exchanged between the two of them. "Mmm, that's a pretty name. My name's Ramona."

Faline leaned back sucking her bottom lip in between her teeth and winked at Jasmine. "I'll get your tab started right away, Ramona." She left the table adding a little extra sway to her hips.

_Yeah, definitely should take her home one of these nights._

The turian chuckled. "She's expecting you to tip well." He flicked a mandible. " _Ramona_. And here I was thinking I should call you 'Jazz.'"

"No one's called me that in a long, long time. Ramona's what I use for now." She raised an eyebrow. "What about you, ' _ThisGuy800'_?"

Lighting another cigarette, the flames casting shadows across his scars, he blew smoke toward the bar. "Ares."

"Ares? I'm sure someone's told you the meaning of that in human lore. Interesting choice."

Ares chuffed, his mandibles fluttering beneath his hood. "So how'd you get the bruises?"

_How'd you get the scars?_

"Elcor. They're meaner than they look." Jasmine licked the crack in her lip, and shook her head.

"Felton of the Elnsoon Clan?" Ares flared his mandibles.

Jasmine shrugged noncommittally. "Didn't exactly ask his name. Was a little busy trying not to get trampled to death.

"I've been watching the case. You didn't do that alone." Ares leaned toward her, casting more shadows over his face. "Let me guess, your partner was that drell watching us at your ten?"

Jasmine let out a groan and pinched the bridge of her nose. The alcohol dulling her senses more than she realized, she didn't even feel like she was being watched. She didn't need to look to know he was talking about Thane. What other drell would be watching her? Jasmine opened her omni-tool and used it to record her voice. "Either come say hello or go away, you're making my guest uncomfortable." She sent the recording to Thane's extranet address.

A moment later her omni-tool pinged, and she opened the message he sent her in return. "Very well, as you wish."

* * *

Jasmine slept unsoundly, tossing and turning on top of her crumpled bedding. He'd turned the lights to dim after helping her to bed, thinking she might need them should she wake in the night in her intoxicated state. Managing to find a single clean glass in her cabinet, he filled it with water and set it on her nightstand next to her pistol and knives.

He'd been on his way to the door, thinking her already asleep when he heard her voice telling him that she didn't think she should be left alone. Hesitating next to the door, he tried asking her what she meant. Had she drank too much, was she ill? He knew she'd had a significant amount to drink with her companion at Chora's Den, and then still more at Le Bleu. He'd managed to convince her to drink some water at Le Bleu, but not nearly enough to stave off the effects of the alcohol in her , she would feel much worse in the morning.

She didn't respond to his questioning, so he moved back to the bed and called her name. When still she didn't answer, he stood over the bed for a few minutes watching the rise and fall of her chest trying to assure himself that she was fine and that he should leave her to sleep, but there had been something in her voice that crept past the tattered edges of his battle sleep and urged him to stay.

So, he settled into one of her chairs and watched her sleep. Growing restless after only a couple of hours and increasingly disturbed by the mess she allowed herself to live in, Thane slid his jacket off and draped it over the back of the chair. Perhaps she really wouldn't mind if he cleaned. Unfortunately, the task didn't take quite as long as he'd hoped. He was surprised the sounds of running water and dishes clanking didn't disturb her at all.

For a while after, he sat in the middle of her floor meditating. It removed his own desire to sleep, and kept his mind occupied … until she started talking in her sleep. At first, he tried not to listen; to show her the same courtesy she'd shown him when she refused to listen to while he recounted the memories of his wife.

In the end, it was a pointless gesture. Whereas she easily closed the lid of her laptop to afford him privacy, he couldn't so easily shut her out. Anguish filled her voice as she spoke of someone called Nal. The weight of the emotion demanded his attention, telling him far more than her incoherent rambling. Empathy stirred inside of him, something he'd not felt for another in years.

He considered waking her, ending the suffering her dreams caused. Still on the floor as she tossed and turned, he struggled with indecision until her heard her say 'Krios'. He strained to hear her speak again. Telling himself that it was nothing more than intrigue, but unable to ignore the spark of … something that pierced through him when he heard his own name on her lips.

"… judgemental asshole … stupid idea … ." Her voice came out muffled, nearly lost with her face half buried in the sheets.

Thane smiled, his shoulders bouncing lightly with suppressed laughter. A moment later, Jasmine bolted upright in bed, and winced, her hand moving to her ribs. His breath caught in his throat, and he put his palms on the floor, ready to push himself up and go to her if she required assistance. Before he could ask, she crawled out of bed, looking right past him and hurried to the bathroom.

He stood, moving to her nightstand to retrieve the glass of water he'd sat there hours before. When the door opened again, Jasmine walked out rubbing her face, now wearing nothing but her undergarments, her hair freed from her ponytail resting around her shoulders. Thane looked away and cleared his throat, the glass of water still held out in front of him.

He heard her gasp, and suddenly felt very, very sure he must've misunderstood the meaning of her words earlier in the evening. Clearly, she didn't expect to find him still there. She retreated to the bathroom and closed the door again. He sat the glass of water down on her nightstand, moving quickly to retrieve his jacket and leave.

"Am I dreaming?" Confusion filled her voice.

Thane risked a glance over his shoulder, relieved to see she put a robe on. Standing in the doorway of her bathroom, she now watched him with her brow furrowed, her fingers worrying her forehead. He glanced back down at his jacket clenched in his fist, unsure of what the appropriate thing to say was under the particular circumstances.

He let his hand drop to his side and turned to her, the least he could do was give her the courtesy of admitting his mistake to her face. "No, I'm afraid you aren't."

She cut him off before he could continue. "Oh. Okay." Jasmine's face relaxed, and she started back toward her bed, swaying as she walked. She stopped halfway and turned back to him. "Why are you here?"

"I thought you wanted me to stay, but I believe now that might have been a misunderstanding on my part. My apologies."

The skin at the brief expanse of her revealed chest and neck began to redden. Lifting a hand to cover her mouth, her eyes widened. She glanced at her bed and then back to him. "Oh God … did I … I didn't … ." She cleared her throat, running her hand back through her hair. "Why uh, why did you think I wanted you to stay?"

Her thoughts suddenly becoming quite clear to him, Thane found himself momentarily speechless. He looked forward to the memories of the sheer look of mortification on her face. He snickered, raising his brows when her flush deepened. He considered teasing her as she seemed so fond of doing to him—and had done so much of earlier in the evening—but decided to hold on to this moment for later use, should she give him reason.

He cleared his throat. "You said you didn't think you should be left alone." Waving a hand toward the bed. "I tried to get you to explain, but you were already asleep. Considering your injuries, and as much as you drank, I thought perhaps it was wise to stay."

Dropping her hand to her side, she let her shoulders sag. "Oh. Ah, well that was kind of you." She looked past him, toward the kitchen area and then back to him, swaying gently on her feet. A smile spread across her face, amusement dancing in her eyes. "You cleaned?"

He chuckled, turning to look over his shoulder. "I didn't think you'd mind." Thane turned back to her and they stood, watching each other in awkward silence. A moment later he glanced back at the jacket in his grip and started to put it on. "It appears you're feeling better now, so I'll leave you to your rest." Tugging at the collar once he had the jacket on, he met her gaze again. "Perhaps you'll drink the water on your nightstand?"

Jasmine glanced at the glass and then back to him, crossing her arms over her chest as she absently rubbed at her upper arms. "Yeah, sure. Thanks, um, thanks for getting me home and for staying to make sure I was okay."

The disappointment in her voice kept him from turning away. Normally she was better at concealing her emotions, her body language calculated and controlled; expressing only what she wanted expressed. It must be the alcohol, yet another reason why Thane avoided drinking. Feeling compelled to stay if it was what she wished, Thane tilted his head to the side, questioning why it mattered to him. She didn't need him, she was moving around fine on her own. Surely the gods didn't expect him to be at her beck and call.

Still, he found himself speaking, "I can … I can stay awhile longer, if you'd like."

She gave him a sad smile and shook her head, raising a hand to her forehead again. "No, no, I'm alright. Go home, get some sleep. I'll send you a message when I'm more coherent and we can talk about … Felton's estate. I'm sure you've got plenty to say about it." She chuckled, the sound hollow to his ears.

"Are you certain?" He tucked his hands behind his back, silently willing her to be honest with him.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." She rested a hand on her collarbone, and swallowed.

Everything about the way she stood, the sound of her voice, screamed of deceit. He was certain she wanted him to stay, but refused to accept his offer. He didn't want to consider the possible implications, but was sure that he would anyway. Thane dipped his head to her and turned to the door. "Goodnight, Shepard. Rest well."

"Night, Krios. You, too." Jasmine led him to the door. Opening it for him, she pressed her back to the frame, keeping the door open as he left.

He could feel her eyes on him as he walked away.


	10. Stiv Kay

**Stiv Kay**

"Excuse me! Ms. Salazar?" Private Rawlin's voice called after her.

Jasmine stopped, hefting the weight of her sniper rifle case up onto her hip. Turning back to the man behind the Alliance training center's front desk, she lifted her eyebrow. "Yes, Private?"

"Sorry to bother you, miss, but I have instructions to deliver this to you when you visited again." He held a small box out on the palm of his hand.

Jasmine hesitated before moving back to the desk. "Instructed by whom?" She glared at the box bearing the green Aldrin Labs' logo as if it might bite her.

Rawlins set the box down on the counter in front of Jasmine and turned back to his console. "I'm sorry ma'am, I don't have the clearance to access that information."

"What is it, do you know?" Jasmine eyed the box, hesitant to even touch it, pursing her lips. She hated surprises, and this was definitely unexpected.

"Yes ma'am, it's the new tactical cloak from Aldrin Labs. New tech, hasn't even been released to the public yet." The private scratched the short, black hair at his temple, eyeing Jasmine speculatively. "I'm … I'm a little surprised they left it for you here, ma'am."

Jasmine lifted the corner of her mouth, seeing the private fishing for information first hand amused her. This wasn't the first time he'd shown interest in Ramona Salazar. Whispered rumors reached her ears the first week she visited the Alliance training facility; Private Mike Rawlins had been asking around about her. He didn't have a clue how much his curiosity nearly cost him. Jasmine asked her liaison to run his name after the first time she caught him watching her at the range, lucky for him, her liaison cleared him.

Jasmine set her rifle case down next to the counter, using her feet to box it in. Picking up the Aldrin Labs package, she turned it over in her hands until she saw the label. As Rawlins said, the label identified the contents as the Aldrin Tactical Cloak Experion and provided a list of specs for the cloak.

"I can help you with it, if you'd like, ma'am," Rawlins said. "I've been following their developmental releases."

Jasmine glanced up at the tall, well muscled man who had eager eyes and a friendly smile. She smirked and nodded her head. "Alright, show me what it can do, Rawlins."

His grin deepened, brilliant white teeth contrasting against mahogany skin. "So you _do_ know my name." He moved around the desk to stand in front of Jasmine, towering over her by at least twenty-five centimeters, as he held his hand out for the box.

"Of course." Jasmine handed the box to him and leaned her hip against the counter, sizing him up.

Rawlins slipped a knife from his pocket and sliced through the tape holding the box closed, setting the knife down on the counter. Jasmine wondered idly if he had any idea she could kill him with his own knife before he even realized she'd picked it up. Not that she expected him to give her any reason to, but the thought made her feel a little better with a man his size standing so close. Rawlins seemed like a nice guy, genuinely friendly and not just because it said so in his job description.

He slipped the matte, black band from the packaging and pressed down a button on the side. He waved his fingers, gesturing to her arm. "It'll need to sync to your omni-tool and take your measurements when you first put it on."

Jasmine held her arm out, letting him fit the cuff on her wrist next to her omni-tool. He stole glances at her as he worked.

"So it'll take about twenty seconds, after that this screen will flash when it's ready to take your measurements." Rawlins cleared his throat. "Mind if I ask you a question, ma'am?"

"Only if you stop calling me ma'am." Jasmine watched the little screen on the cuff as data scrolled across its surface. She glanced up when he didn't speak right away. "Spit it out, Rawlins. I can't promise I'll be able to give you the answer you want, but I'm not going to fault you for asking."

He chuckled and nodded his head. "Fair enough. I was wondering why your file has your rank withheld?"

Jasmine raised her eyebrow. "You accessed my file?"

Rawlins rubbed the back of his neck and laughed breathlessly. "I uh, I was trying to figure out whether it was safe to ask you out or not."

Jasmine held up her wrist, cuff indicator flashing, for Rawlins to see. She had to admit, she kind of enjoyed watching him squirm.

"Right, uh, so stand feet shoulder width apart with your arms out to the side," Rawlins said. "Try not to move or talk while the scanner is active."

Jasmine let her smile fade as she took a step to the side, spreading her arms wide. A moment later, a green holographic grid crossed over her vision, spreading over her entire body before moving back to the cuff, only to repeat the process three times more before it finally faded completely. Jasmine dropped her arms to her sides and rolled her neck to ease tense muscles. Tender ribs throbbed in her side, dull and distant, reminding her they weren't completely healed.

"And that's it, when you want to activate the cloak, just press this button. It only lasts for a few seconds, and the recharge time is twenty, but it'll be enough to give you an edge." Rawlins grinned. "Not that you need if from what I've seen."

Jasmine grinned, squatting to retrieve her sniper case. "The answer to your question is: you don't have the clearance to access that information." She picked up the tactical cloak box. "And uh, I'll think about it." Jasmine moved past him, making her way through the scanners toward the training grounds.

"You'll think about it?" Rawlins called after her.

Jasmine turned, walking backwards, snickering at his furrowed brow. "About whether or not it's safe for you to ask me out." She winked and turned her back to him, letting him watch the sway of her hips as she walked away.

Heading for the shooting range, Jasmine worked the empty box into her pocket and tugged the zipper closed. She'd have to go over the full instructions later, and perhaps she could use the shipping code to track down who sent it to her.

Jasmine slid her rifle case up on the counter of her stall and lifted the sound dampening ear muffs from the peg, settling them around her neck while she got her rifle ready. Just as she flipped the latches on the case, her omni-tool pinged. Jasmine hesitated, her fingers itching to get her gun out and fill the target full of holes. She let out a weary sigh and opened her omni-tool instead, accessing the flashing messages icon. The sender's extranet address registered as blocked, but in her line of work it wasn't too unusual, so she tapped on the message.

" _Happy Birthday, J. Hope you like the present I sent you. Put it to good use. - L."_

_Leon. Of course._

Jasmine groaned and opened her case, imagining a new face painted on the human silhouette target at the other end of the range.

* * *

Jasmine tried not to wince as she settled into the chair next to Geoffrey. Rift's face exuded pure delight; she could almost see it seeping out of his pores. The cake sitting on the table in front of him, holo-candles dancing with fake flames illuminating Geoffrey's little studio, declared, " _Happy Birthday, Jasmine."_ Geoffrey glanced at her apologetically, reaching over to rub her shoulder. She hated birthdays.

She saw the concern in his eyes, even if he didn't give it voice. Jasmine gave Karin permission years ago to discuss her continued recovery with Geoffrey as Karin saw fit. Jasmine felt bad enough dumping her problems in Karin's lap without asking the woman to keep secrets from her husband, and she knew they both cared about her; both worried about her. The only reason she never talked about her addiction struggles with Geoffrey was lack of expertise; Karin spent years training as a drug rehabilitation counselor, not him.

"Happy Birthday, kiddo." Geoffrey squeezed her shoulder, offering her silent support before moving his hand back to the table. "The cake's Rift's idea. Looks delicious, doesn't it?"

_Pfft. Let the kid take the blame, nice._

"Yes, yes it does." Jasmine winked at Rift.

"Happy Birthday, Jasmine! You have to make a wish!" Rift squirmed in his seat, pulling his legs into the chair to sit on his knees.

Jasmine laughed, his enthusiasm squashing the last remnants of her bad mood as easily as if they were bugs beneath his feet. Squeezing her eyes closed, she made her wish.

_Let him have the best life ever._

* * *

Thane raised his hand to knock on the door and hesitated, a boulder of doubt settling in his stomach. Jasmine still hadn't messaged him to say she wanted to talk, and in fact, he thought she might be avoiding him. The haunting look of desolation in her eyes stayed with him since he last saw her, leaving him feeling as if he'd made a terrible mistake leaving her.

He felt selfish now, showing up uninvited at her door. He'd like to tell himself he came to talk about the Felton contract, but it would be a lie. Really, he came so that he could see her eyes; he needed to know that look had gone. Still, he did have things he needed to say to her about that night, and if he didn't tell her soon, he'd let the words remain unspoken forever. She deserved better. He knocked on the door.

A moment later, the door slid open. Jasmine stood before him, a fork in her hand, licking a smear of something purple from her lip. She took a deep breath, letting it out slow, her shoulders drooping with the motion. His lip twitched, realizing some part of him hoped she'd be pleased to see him, and found himself disappointed she wasn't. It'd seemed … it seemed like maybe she'd grown to enjoy his company, even inviting him to join her as she shared drinks with her turian friend. He never did much socializing, even when Irikah lived, and none he could speak of with a human, so perhaps he'd read it all wrong.

She'd laughed so much that night, though, her eyes sparkling as she smiled at him, teased him … tried to feed him from her own fork. That one still confused him. He considered the possibility her lewd jokes were more than simple teasing, but in the end he decided it safer to assume her actions had different cultural implications for humans than drell. After all, she didn't hesitated to drink after him when they first met, and she never failed to tell him how arrogant she thought him.

Jasmine nodded her head and turned her back to him, moving to her table. Thane smiled, he might actually be growing accustomed to her informalities. Crossing over the threshold, he followed her inside, noting the vibrant purple and white iced confection, cake humans called it, sitting in the middle of the table. Pieces neatly sliced were missing from the lower corner of one side, small, uneven gouges taken from the upper corner on the same side. The words " _Happy Birthday"_ yet untouched, while the letters " _Jas"_ all that remained of her name.

Turning his attention from the cake back to Jasmine, his brow twitched. "Today is your birthday?" Thane pulled out the chair opposite of her, taking a seat before she threatened to shoot him.

Jasmine stuck her fork into the purple icing, digging out a piece and putting it in her mouth. "Yep."

"I'm surprised you aren't with your friend, Geoffrey. Perhaps Rift." Thane folded his hands, resting them on the table.

Jasmine dug into the cake again, turning her eyes to him. Propping her elbow on the table, she held the forkful in front of her mouth. "The cake was Rift's idea." She scrunched up her nose. "They made me take the damn thing home with me." She stuck the fork in her mouth, a faint moan vibrating her throat.

Thane chuckled, feeling the muscles in his shoulders ease as he leaned back against the chair. "And this upsets you?" He gestured to her cabinets. "Is it tradition to not use plates?"

Jasmine smirked, licking the icing off of her fork before setting it down on the edge of tray. "I figured I'd avoid ruining all of your hard work for as long as I can." She leaned back, reaching behind her to open a drawer and retrieved another fork, holding it out to him. "Save me the shame of having eaten this entire thing by myself over the next two days, and I promise to wash them when we're finished."

Thane held his hand up, declining the offer. "I'm not hungry, thank you."

Jasmine rolled her eyes and waggled the fork. "It's … it's not about being _hungry_." She let out an exasperated sigh. "It's my birthday, Krios. It means you have to do what I say. Now take the damn fork and splurge a little."

Thane leaned forward, smiling indulgently and took the fork from Jasmine. She watched him with her eyebrows raised as he used the edge of the fork to neatly cut a bite sized square of the cake and lift it to his mouth.

Jasmine snorted and shook her head, flashing her teeth in a grin. "You're hopeless." She dug into the cake again.

Thane put the piece in his mouth, the shock of thick, sweet icing on his tongue nearly choking him. He chewed, the undercurrents of chocolate barely noticeable, and forced himself to swallow before clearing his throat and swallowing again. "That's, ah, that's terrible."

Jasmine let her head loll back on her shoulders, laughing heartily at the ceiling. Thane froze, transfixed, in awe of the musical sound escaping her lips. The sudden ache in his chest overshadowed by the flood of exhilaration sweeping over him, left him breathless. The moment passed, fading with her laughter and Thane took a steadying breath in through his nose, setting the fork down on the tray.

Grateful she didn't seem to notice his lapse, he watched her as she left the table and poured them both a glass of water. Jasmine leaned over the table, sitting a glass down in front of him. Her hair, pulled up high on the back of her head, swept down over her shoulder throwing the citrus scent, forever burned into his mind as belonging to her, into the air—grapefruit and papaya, she called it, if her words on ' _Assassins Unveiled'_ were to be believed.

"Thank you." He took a drink of the water, washing away the sickeningly sweet, sticky taste in his mouth.

She smiled at him, humor dancing in her multi-hued eyes; brown shifting to green, flecked with gold, reminding him of the rainforests of Kahje. Thane cleared his throat, averting his gaze as she settled back into her chair. Reminding himself the flood of detail and sudden, intense emotions were to be expected as he fought to hang on to the last of his battle sleep, he told himself he needn't examine any of it too closely. It'd fade eventually, just as every other time.

"Sure, you're welcome." She took a sip from her own glass. "You should try some without the icing … if you want." Jasmine sighed, her smile slipping from her face as she poked around her corner of the cake. "Alright, Krios, I'm ready. Let the yelling commence."

He chuckled, picking the fork up and cutting another small piece before separating the spongy cake from the layer of thick icing. "I haven't come to yell, Shepard." He put the cake in his mouth, buying himself time to weigh out his words. He still didn't know what exactly she found so offensive about him, but he felt determined to avoid upsetting her if at all possible.

"I wanted to thank you … and apologize." He traded the fork for his glass, washing the cake down.

Jasmine blinked, her eyebrows creeping up. "You're serious?"

"Indeed." Thane folded his hands on the table.

"Okay, I'll bite. Thank me for what?" Jasmine leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table, her hands clasped together, propping up her chin. "Apologize for what?"

"I wanted to thank you for your assistance." He turned a palm out, gesturing at Jasmine. "The human guards were unexpected. I fear more hanar would've been lost had I been alone … and I wanted to apologize for allowing you to be injured in the process."

Jasmine sucked on her teeth, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms over her chest. "I fucked up and got cornered by a rampaging elcor, and _you're_ apologizing for it? Are you kidding me?"

"I—no, you wouldn't have been there if not for me. I should've—" Thane's brows creased when she held up a hand, halting his words.

"Krios, if the next words out of your mouth are 'I should've protected you' or anything even remotely like that, this cake is going in your lap." Jasmine dropped her hand, tucking it back underneath her arm.

Thane blinked at her, unsure of what to say; the conversation wasn't going as he hoped. Propping his elbows on the table, he clasped his hands together, pressing the knuckles of his fingers against his lips while he considered his next words. "Shepard, I assure you I mean no offense. I'm not trying to challenge you or question your ability to defend yourself … yet I do hold myself responsible simply by having been the one to lead you there." He tapped his knuckles against his lips again. "Indeed, you fought well, and as I said, I suspect there would've been a very different outcome had you not followed me."

The muscles along her jaw twitched, her voice steady when she spoke, "You would've been killed going in there alone, even without the humans."

The ache flared to life inside of Thane's chest again, and he fought the urge to press his palm against his sternum. "I was prepared for the possibility, yes."

"What would that have accomplished? You'd be dead, and the hanar still slaves." Jasmine leaned forward again, keeping her arms across her chest. "You needed help—they needed help, and you never would've accepted the offer, so I didn't bother to ask."

"I went in prepared to die, yes, but I believe I would've accomplished my goal in the process." Thane held her steady gaze with his own.

"Five elcor, alone?" Jasmine cocked her eyebrow.

"Yes." Already walking a fine line, he hesitated to elaborate any further.

"And you were just going to go in there thinking you'd be killed … and you're okay with that?" The muscles along her jaw rippled again, her voice a biting challenge. "Why?"

_Because it'd be no less than I deserve._

Thane hesitated, lifting his shoulder, hoping to brush aside the question. "The possibility exists with any contract I accept."

Jasmine scoffed and shook her head, picking up her fork. Clearly she didn't believe his reasoning to be as simple as he tried to convey, but mercifully she didn't prod. He too picked up his fork, returning his attention to the cake. They ate in silence for a moment, stealing glances at one another.

His curiosity getting the better of him, he cleared his throat. "You would've refused the contract?"

Jasmine sucked in a deep breath, holding it a moment before slowly letting it out. "No, Krios. I would've asked for assistance."

"I'm freelance—" He started to explain he didn't have the luxury of requesting aid.

"You weren't always, and clearly this was a favor for the hanar." Jasmine's eyes searched his own. "Are you telling me they would've sent you in alone if you said you couldn't handle it by yourself?"

"I—" He started to tell her he didn't know, he'd never asked for help past his training.

"And you could've asked me … but I guess you really think I'm just that inept. Only would've gotten in your way?" Jasmine stabbed her fork down in the cake a little more aggressively than the other times.

His lips pressed flat in disapproval; the grip on his fork tightening. He found himself struggling for the first time in years to keep anger from his voice. "Don't put words in my mouth, Shepard. I had no reason to suspect you'd be willing to step outside of what the Alliance orders you to do, and even had I ... I said I'd willingly risk my life, not yours."

* * *

He leaned over the railing of the catwalk, watching as Jasmine squatted down in front of Rift. Geoffrey stood next to them, carrying two bags slung over his shoulder and a third in his hand. Rift flung himself at Jasmine, wrapping his arms around her neck, nearly knocking her over. She wrapped her arms around the boy's waist, lifting him off the ground as she pushed herself to her feet.

Rift pulled back to look at Jasmine, his laughter reaching all the way up to Thane's ears. She smiled, pressing her forehead against his before kissing him on the cheek and setting him back on his feet. She turned to Geoffrey, snaking her arms though his, resting her face against his chest. The older man kissed the top of her head, turning his cheek to rub against her hair before she backed away.

Geoffrey reached out, taking Rift's hand as Jasmine waved at them. She watched them walk away, moving to stand in line behind several other passengers waiting to board the Earthbound ship. Jasmine sent him a message the night before, telling him Rift would be leaving with Geoffrey. It didn't come as news to him, however. No sooner had the offer been made to Rift did he tell Mouse, and as soon as Mouse heard, he informed Thane.

The man wanted to adopt Rift, provide him with a new family and home. The speed with which it all happened alarmed him, but Jasmine appeared confident and pleased with the arrangement. He trusted her judgement when it came to Rift, he had no doubt she cared for him greatly and wouldn't entrust his care to just anyone. Genuinely pleased for Rift, it made the hollow feeling inside that much more perplexing.

Jasmine's message said Rift asked about Thane. He wanted to know whether Thane still liked him, and wanted Thane to call him at his new home. Jasmine said she hoped he'd consider it because she'd willingly set their agreement aside. He didn't really know what he'd say to the boy if he did call, and he knew remaining in contact with him wouldn't be in Rift's best interest. Thane didn't even risk contact with his own son, not since …

_No. Not here. Not now._

Thane jerked his head to the side, forcing away the memories of his beloved's body sliding into the Encompassing. The memories of Kolyat's tears. Memories of the batarians he slaughtered in retribution until at last he heard the one name that mattered—the human mercenary who killed Irikah—Stiv Kay. He refused to think of them there, not in a place with so many people around. Those were his memories, his alone, not for the ears of some unfortunate passerby.

He turned his attention back to Jasmine, watching as she walked away from Rift and Geoffrey, wiping tears away from her eyes. A part of him wanted to go to her, to try to offer her what comfort he could, but he felt sure she'd only balk at the idea. What did he know of comforting anyone, anyway?

She moved out of his sight, so he let his gaze drift back to the small human child and his new father. Rift clung to Geoffrey's hand, his feet in constant motion even as he stayed in the same spot. Geoffrey smiled down at the boy and said something, to which Rift looked up at him with awe in his eyes.

Movement stirred the air around him, taking him by surprise. Muscles in his arms flexed on instinct, his biotics tingling the tips of his fingers, ready to lash out at the intruder in the fraction of a second it took for Jasmine's familiar scent to register with his mind. His breath caught in his throat, relief cooling the spark of biotics before it welled in his fists. She leaned against the railing next to him.

_Arashu protect this one, she's able, but not yet wise enough to protect herself._

He turned his head to look at her, but she didn't look at him. Her tears were gone now, but her shoulders remained slumped.

_She is indeed getting better._

She took a deep, shuddering breath. "There's still time for you to go tell him goodbye."

"It's better for him if I don't." He turned his attention back to the child.

"How long have you known him?" Jasmine asked.

Thane thought about it for a moment. "A little over a year."

"In all this time, has he ever been hurt because you spoke to him?" She turned to look at Thane.

The weight of her gaze pulled at him, her eyes a force of nature all of their own, demanding his acknowledgement. He looked at her and shook his head. "No, of course not."

"If you choose today, of all days, to _not_ talk to him … it's going to hurt him for a long time." Her eyes plead with him to understand.

_Perhaps wiser than I give her credit for._

Thane dropped his gaze to his hands, taking a steadying breath. "Indeed." He pushed away from the railing, making his way to the ladder.

Jasmine followed him down, walking with him as they wove their way through the crowd. Rift glanced over his shoulder, catching sight of Thane, and his face lit up brighter than any star in the galaxy—just as Kolyat's face once lit up when Thane returned home after a long stint 'away on business.' Pulling his hand free from Geoffrey's, Rift ran, pushing his way through the crowd to reach Thane. Geoffrey yelled after him, panic filling the man's voice until Jasmine caught his attention with a wave.

Rift slammed into Thane, nearly winding him. Small, once frail arms now strengthened with adequate nutrition wrapped around Thane's hips. Stunned by the intensity of the child's affection, Thane settled his hands down on Rift's back. He glanced at Jasmine, hoping to find some guidance.

Her face full of warmth, she smiled at him, but offered no more words of wisdom. Reaching out a hand, her fingertips brushed his shoulder, barely making contact before moving down to ruffle Rift's hair. It was too much, too intimate from both of them at once. His heart hammered against his chest, his breath catching in his throat as memories of Kolyat and Irikah threatened to drown him as surely as the sea.

She walked away, and he wanted to beg her to stay. Jasmine met Geoffrey halfway, leaving Thane alone with Rift. He swallowed, doing his best to still the memories before they became too vivid, to real and consumed him.

"Sere Krios! You came!" Rift looked up, his arms still clinging tight to Thane.

He took a deep breath and forced a smile on his face. "Indeed." Thane squatted down in front of the boy, making him to look up to meet Rift's gaze. "Jasmine tells me you're moving to Earth, it sounds very exciting."

Rift bounced on the balls of his feet, his grin stretching from ear to ear. "I am! I'm gonna have a new dad and a new mom and sisters! I've never had sisters before. And Geoffrey—that's my new dad—he said we could get a puppy!"

Rift's excitement filled some of the hollow space inside of Thane and stilled his racing heart. "I'm very pleased for you, Rift. I'm sure you'll be quite happy with your new family."

Just as quickly as Rift's smile arrived, it suddenly reversed course, tears welling up in his eyes. "I'm going to miss you, Sere Krios. Geoffrey—I mean Dad said you could call me sometimes. Will you call me?"

"I … ." Thane didn't know what to say, he didn't have the words to explain to the child he'd be better off never hearing from Thane again.

"Rift, they're starting to board. We have to get back in line, it's time to go." Rift's new father walked up, Jasmine at his side, and settled a hand down on Rift's shoulder.

Rift turned to look at Geoffrey. Thane stood up, tucking his hands behind his back. Jasmine reached out, running her hand over Rift's hair, smoothing it back down before cupping his cheek, letting her thumb brush away his tears.

He smiled up at her before looking back to Thane. "Please?"

"I … ." Thane turned to Jasmine, and she gave him a sad smile. He glanced at Geoffrey, the man's gaze heavy with reserved judgement.

Rift tugged at Thane's jacket.

"If it is alright with your father," Thane said holding Geoffrey's weighted stare, "then yes, I will call you. I'd like that." And he knew he would.

Geoffrey smiled, his eyes softening as he extended his hand to Thane. Shifting his gaze to Jasmine once more, Thane found the warm smile filled her face again. She leaned into Geoffrey's side, pressing her shoulder against his, when Thane accepted the proffered hand to shake.

"So long as it's not past his bedtime," Geoffrey said.

"Bedtime!" Rift groaned dramatically.

Jasmine laughed, moving to stand next to Thane as Geoffrey led Rift back to the ship's queue. He could feel her eyes on him as he watched Rift disappear into the crowd once more. She leaned into him, much as she did a moment before with Geoffrey, nudging his shoulder with her own for a brief moment. He blinked in surprise, unsure of an appropriate response. Something warm and wet slid down his face, swiping his fingers over his cheek, he took them away again to stare at the wet smear in disbelief.

_I'm coming undone, completely._

Her voice barely above a whisper, nearly lost in the din of the crowd of people moving to the ship, eased him back to the present. "Thane, I didn't realize how much he meant to you when I asked you to leave him alone. I was scared for him, you know that, don't you?"

He pulled his gaze from the tears on his hand to look at her, seeing fresh tears in her own eyes. He cleared his throat and dipped his head. "I do." He looked back out at the sea of faces, hoping to catch one last glimpse of Rift. After a moment, when it became evident he wouldn't see the boy again, he took a deep breath. They turned together, walking away from the docks.

He watched her in his peripheral. "You called me Thane."

She chuckled, keeping her gaze on the floor in front of her feet as she walked. "I did. 'Krios' felt a little too formal in the moment. Sorry."

He thought about it, tucking his hands behind his back as they effortlessly dodged the crowd. He liked hearing his name spoken aloud again, particularly by a voice filled with compassion. "No need, I don't mind." He smirked, glancing at her. "Shall I call you 'Jasmine,' now?"

She laughed, bumping her shoulder against his again. "Sure, if you want."


	11. Ryan Archer

**Ryan Archer**

Jasmine settled her crosshairs on the human bent over a crate on the warehouse floor down below. She swallowed against the knot in her throat and the trembling in her fingers as he used a small razor blade to slice through the red sand on the crate's polished surface, separating out the fine powder into neat little lines. Eight others gathered around him, their anticipation palpable as he sampled the shipment.

The irony of her current situation wasn't lost on her. She'd been fighting her own cravings for days, and now she lay on her perch about to kill a man in the process of saiting the same addiction. Maybe someone in the Alliance really did hope she'd fuck up and fall on her ass. It might just be the day for it to happen, but it damn well wouldn't be because she couldn't handle the sight of a little red sand.

The men and women surrounding her target weren't on her kill list, but after reading up on them she knew she wouldn't lose any sleep over them either. If they died in the warehouse along with her target, the galaxy would be a better place. Still, she wouldn't be putting them in her crosshairs unless her life depended on it. She'd rather have cornered her target alone, but Ryan Archer never seemed to be alone. She tracked him for four days, completely throwing herself into the job, desperate to distract herself from Rift's absence and the incessant itch of ants crawling under her skin.

If she had to put other lives at risk, she'd rather it be the group of drug and arms traffickers gathered below her than a crowd of innocent people out on the streets of the Citadel. Jasmine knew the moment she pulled her trigger, bullets would start flying at her from below. She picked a secure location, high up in the loft where she could pull back out of harm's way and make a break for the catwalks to get the hell out of there once her job was done. She'd worry about target verification later. By her estimates, they'd never even see who they were shooting at.

She held her breath as Archer pulled a small metal straw from his pocket and lifted it to his face. Easing the straw into his left nostril, he used the thumb of the same hand to hold his other nostril closed. Jasmine forced herself to breathe through it, licking her lips as Archer sucked up first one line, and then another of the red sand.

Straightening to his full height, Archer threw his head back. Mouth opened wide, gasping with the euphoria Jasmine remembered all too well, Archer pushed his shoulders back and squeezed his hands into fists. Miniscule tendrils of biotic energy flared to life, dancing and licking across his bare arms. She could almost taste the blue manna, metallic and bitter on the roof of her mouth. Lifting his head, Archer turned to unleash the energy on a desk chair a meter away, throwing it against a nearby wall.

The maniacal grin spreading across his face matched the edge of insanity dancing in his eyes. He turned back to the group, laughing and extending his hand to seal the deal. Jasmine lined up her shot, took a breath and squeezed the trigger. Archer's eyes bulged, his jaw going slack as a thin trickle of red spilled out of the hole in his forehead.

Jasmine used her elbows and knees to push herself back, her tank top sliding up in the process, dirt and grime scraping across her bare skin. Chaos broke out down below, the cacophony of angry shouting and weapons being fired filled the air. She pushed herself further back, not daring to stand until she felt certain she couldn't be targeted from the warehouse floor.

Lifting herself up to a crouch, she quickly collapsed her rifle, holstering it on her back. Ears straining for sounds of anyone approaching, Jasmine realized not a single shot came near her, not even to ricochet off the thick metal beneath her feet. She hesitated, torn between fleeing the scene and moving forward to peer over the edge. The shouting and gun report dwindled, fueling the fire of Jasmine's curiosity, keeping her glued to the center of the loft floor.

A few pounding beats of her heart later, the room fell silent, the only sound the roar of her own blood rushing through her veins. Jasmine crept forward, staying low to the floor and peered over the edge.

"Jesus Christ," she whispered, counting nine bodies scattered across the warehouse floor.

* * *

Thane just closed his omni-tool—having read and deleted the message from Beleno informing him the hanar were safely transported back to Kahje—when his omni-tool pinged again. He smiled, finding himself hoping it was Jasmine. They hadn't seen one another since the day they said goodbye to Rift, but she had messaged him twice asking for updates on the hanar. A third message came that morning, she'd forwarded him a video of Rift, squealing in delight as the small, golden-furred creature he called a 'puppy' wiggled in his arms and licked his face.

Thane opened his omni-tool, accepting the incoming video call—not from Jasmine, but Talak. The young, barefaced turian's image filled the screen, his mandibles flared in distress. Thane sat forward, staring at Talak intently, cold dread trickling down his spine.

"Sere Krios," Talak said turning his head to glance over his shoulder before continuing, "I thought you might want to know I saw Jasmine go into a warehouse awhile ago. There were a lot of gunshots and people yelling inside. She hasn't come back out yet, not that I've seen anyway."

"Where?" Thane bolted from the couch, making a beeline for his front door.

"I'll send you the address, it's in the Lower Wards. I've been listening to C-Sec's chatter, no one's called it in yet." Talak looked over his shoulder again. "You want me to stick around?"

"No, thank you. I'm on my way. You should go somewhere safe." Thane closed his omni-tool, cutting the call as he locked his door behind him.

He'd chosen his newest apartment in part because it was located very near a rapid transit stand. Grateful for that decision now, he called up a cab and climbed inside. Using his omni-tool to hack through the system, he disengaged the default settings to allow him to take manual control. Talak's message came through with the address as Thane lifted the skycar into the air, racing high above the flow of traffic toward Zakera Ward.

Fear of what he might find once he got there wrapped itself around his throat, threatening to close his airways. The ache in his chest flared to life, dull and throbbing. Fingers tightening on the steering, he accelerated the skycar, surpassing legal speed limits by half again as much. Images of a blood splattered apartment flashed in front of his eyes. Thane clenched his jaw and shoved them away.

_Arashu, please have mercy. Keep her safe._

He landed the skycar at the closest rapid transit station, a few blocks away from the warehouse. As soon as the door opened, he darted from the skycar, not bothering to close the door, and ran, pushing his legs to carry him faster.

_Amonkira, guide me._

Wailing sirens in the distance drew his attention to the air above. C-Sec were on their way, he had to be faster. He had to get to her before they did, and should the worst come to pass … he must return her body to her loved ones.

_Kalahira, if I'm too late, guide her soul across the sea._

* * *

"Jasmine?" Thane's voice drifted to Jasmine's ears, barely cutting through the haze.

Still, she couldn't tear her eyes away from the crate in front of her. Kilos of red sand, neatly wrapped in clear plastic, called to her. Her whole body trembled … thoughts trembled with want, with need. Jasmine swallowed, her mouth and throat so dry they ached, but the feeling felt far away; a lifetime away.

_This is all I've ever been. Did I really think I could escape this?_

Her hand moved, she didn't tell it to, but there it was nonetheless, reaching out for the one thing that would make her pain stop. It would make her forget Rift; forget Quin'Nal vas Usela and Leon, forget the sight of hanar crowded against one another in desperation, bullets flying, elcor rampaging. Forget the emptiness in her chest, and the face of Thane Krios. Blue energy surrounded the crate, lifting it up as if to meet her hand for one precious, fraction of a second before flying across the warehouse and shattering against the wall.

She gasped, panic welling up inside of her, clenching its greedy fists around her lungs and squeezing the breath out of her. Gentle fingers grazed her shoulder. Her eyelids fluttered closed, her head tilting toward the sensation.

"Jasmine, you must leave here. C-Sec has arrived." Thane's voice soaked through the panic, chasing away the darkness. "Please."

She dropped her head, shame washing over her, clearing the last of the fog enveloping her mind. Unable to meet his gaze, unable to bear the pity she thought she would surely see there, Jasmine activated her tactical cloak and ran. Ran from the red sand. Ran from the death and blood surrounding her. Ran from emerald eyes of Thane Krios.

* * *

The walls closed in on her. She couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, couldn't _breathe_. She hadn't felt like this in years. Jasmine found herself on her hands and knees, forehead pressed to the floor as tears dropped from her eyes to splash against the carpet. The little voice in the back of her head screamed at her, telling her she knew what she needed to do if she wanted to make it all go away.

_God, why is this happening to me? What is wrong with me?_

Rift's smiling face floated behind her closed eyes, the jagged tear in her heart ripping a little further. Jasmine gasped, sucking in a wet, harsh breath. She crawled forward, scrambling for the bed to pull herself up and perched on the edge. Wrapping her arms around her stomach she leaned over, putting her head between her knees, forcing herself to take slow, deep breaths.

The wracking sobs subsiding, Jasmine rubbed tears from her cheeks, raw skin burning in protestation at the rough treatment. She stood, making her way to the refrigerator, finding only a near empty bottle of rum on the shelf inside. Barely more than a swallow inside; Jasmine dumped it down her throat anyway before tossing the bottle in the garbage.

She sat back down on the edge of her bed, shoving her feet back into her boots and sliding her jacket on over her arms. She stopped in the bathroom to glare at her reflection and splash water on her face before leaving her new apartment. She'd hoped moving to a new place after Rift left would help ease some of her cravings; a fresh start so to speak, in a place not haunted by memories of his smiling face. It only tore the hole in her chest wider.

A half an hour later, Jasmine couldn't say she was surprised to find herself standing in front of Thane's door. She'd meant to go to Chora's Den, drink until she couldn't walk straight, but somehow she ended up blankly staring at his door instead, debating on whether or not to knock.

* * *

Thane lay in bed, the darkness unable to save him from the memories of Jasmine's haunted face as she reached for the crate of red sand. Rolling to his back, he draped his arm over his forehead and stared at his ceiling, letting out a resignated sigh. As the hours passed, he prayed for her again and again, wishing nothing more than she'd call him and tell him she was alright.

He'd been terrified … truly terrified he'd find her dead in the warehouse. Although he'd been grateful to see her standing there, her targets lying dead at her feet while she remained unharmed, he now feared for her in a manner that somehow felt worse. It filled him with despair and helplessness. The evil hearts of men he could defend her from; wounds of flesh and bone he could help her mend … but this … this went beyond him; a wound of the soul only her god could heal. He didn't know how to help her, as much as he wanted to, and she fled from him.

His omni-tool beeped, flashing once to grab his attention. He sat up, opening it to see the apartment's security system alerting him to movement outside of his door. Throwing the covers aside, he slipped from the bed, not bothering to take the time to pull a shirt on before padding across the cool floor on bare feet. Making his way to the front door, he activated the security camera's monitor.

_Jasmine … Thank you, Arashu. Thank you._

Watching as she chewed her lip, he hesitated to open the door. She hadn't knocked or rang the comm. If he opened the door before she did, would she flee from him again? Jasmine blew out a heavy breath and raked a hand over her hair, tangling her fingers in the dark mass, pulling strands free from their binding.

She spun on her heel, but before she could walk away, Thane's palm slammed into the door's control. The door slid open and she froze, her shoulders tense. Thane didn't speak, he didn't know what to even say. Tilting her head back, she let out a heavy sigh before turning to face him.

Her gaze swept over him, her neck and cheeks blushing a soft pink. "You were in bed … I'm sorry, I should go."

"I wasn't sleeping." The words sounded ridiculous to him; inane, but it kept her from leaving. Thane stepped aside, waving his hand out at the apartment. "Please, come in."

"I didn't realize how late it is. I just … ." Jasmine took a deep breath, her shoulders shuddering as she blew it back out. "I didn't kill all of them, just my target. They killed each other after that. And I didn't … I wasn't going to … ." She cleared her throat, dropping her eyes to her boots.

"I didn't think you were going to." Thane tucked his hands behind his back, fighting the urge to reach out to her.

Jasmine snorted and shook her head, her voice croaking. "Liar."

Thane licked his lips, trying again. "I hoped you wouldn't."

"Yeah, well anyway, I just wanted to make that clear." Jasmine's gaze roamed over him again, failing to meet his eyes in the process. "I'll get out of here, let you get back to bed." She took a step back, preparing to turn.

His hand darted out, possibly surprising him more than her, when he grabbed her wrist. Shocked by his own audacity, he stared at the offending hand before clearing his throat and pulling it away.

Tucking his hand back behind him he clenched it into a fist. "My apologies." Thane shifted, taking a step back. "I—You were upset with me," he said softly, hesitantly, unsure if it was the right path to take, "for not asking for help when I needed it."

Jasmine swallowed, her eyes shining with unshed tears. She shook her head. "This isn't something you can help me with."

"Allow me to try, please." Thane held her gaze, unblinking, praying she could hear the sincerity in his voice.

She pulled her lip between her teeth, scraping them across the fragile skin, her lip red and swollen when she finally let it go and shook her head, giving him a sad smile. "Thanks, but … it's really not something I think I can talk about."

Thane lifted his shoulder. "I don't have chocolate, but I have _cinuela_. We can talk about whatever you'd like."

Jasmine snorted and rubbed her eyes with thumb and forefinger. "And what if I want to talk about the color of leaves in the fall on Earth, or furry little kittens?"

"Then I'm afraid I won't have much to contribute to the conversation, but will gladly listen to you tell me about them." Thane smiled, knowing she tested him.

Jasmine dropped her hand, rubbing her fingers absently over her thigh before shoving both hands in the pockets of her jacket. "And what if I just want to know all about Thane Krios?"

His blood ran cold in his veins, and he sucked in a deep breath through his nose, catching her scent in the air. "Then I shall do my best to tell you about him … though, I can't promise to answer every question you might have."

Jasmine narrowed her eyes, studying him intently. "Why? Why would you want to help me with … this? Christ, why are you being so nice to me when I've been a colossal pain in your ass?"

His eyebrow twitched. "Colossal? I thought I'm supposed to be the arrogant one?"

Jasmine smirked but lifted her eyebrow, the sculpted, brown arch insisting that he answer her question.

Thane dropped his eyes, studying the stretch of floor between the two of them. "I'm afraid I don't have a simple answer for you." He met her gaze again. "But if you'd care to come inside, I'll see if I can find a way to adequately explain myself."

Sighing, she waved a hand at his bare chest. "Alright, but you've got to put a shirt on or something because right now I can't see all of _that_ without thinking of you as drugs in a neat package."

Thane blinked as she stepped past him into the apartment. He hadn't considered drell venom might be a temptation to her, many species enjoyed the effects recreationally but they were mild and not addictive. Drell venom was nothing like what he'd heard described of red sand. "Yes, of course. My apologies, I hadn't considered … ."

Jasmine shook her head as she walked down the hall. "Stop apologizing, Thane. I'm the one who's afraid I might get desperate enough to try and lick you."

A strangled sound escaped his throat before he could stop it, sputtering he coughed in his fist.

She grinned at him over her shoulder, mischief dancing in her eyes. "What do you know, you are helping. I don't think that'll ever get old."

"Colossal, indeed. I'd tell you to make yourself at home, but I'm afraid it would take a full year to clean up after you." Thane chuckled, pleased to see her mood already lifting. Closing the door and adjusting the lights so the apartment glowed dimly, he hoped the gentle light would help keep her calm and open to talking.

Her soft laughter trickled back down the hall as he left her to make her way to the living area while he ducked into his room to grab a loose linen shirt. He found her sitting on the couch, her jacket draped over her lap, absently running her hand back and forth across the cushion next to her creating swirls in the nap of the fabric. She turned her head, smiling at him when he entered the room. It pleased him, no longer unexpectedly, to see her smile at him so easily now, even while feeling so distressed.

He returned her smile, moving into the kitchen to put a pot of water on for _cinuela_. The soft scrape of her boot moving from carpet to tile alerted him to her presence. "Are you hungry?"

"I'm always hungry." Jasmine leaned against the doorframe. "But I doubt you have anything greasy enough to satisfy in there."

Thane chuckled, reaching into the cabinet and pulling out a bottle of herbal supplements. He sat the bottle down in front of Jasmine. "You would be correct, but I do have meats, fresh from the deli, cheeses, fruit … if you'd like."

Jasmine picked up the bottle, turning it over in her hand as she read the label. "Sure." She turned the bottle toward him. "What's this?"

"Ah." Thane ran a thumbnail across his brow, moving to the refrigeration unit. "After we were introduced to galactic society, the salarians studied drell venom, and found chemical compounds to counteract its effects." He pulled out several packages wrapped in butcher paper and laid them on the counter. "That's a common supplement sold—herbs found on Thessia—it contains those compounds."

He shrugged his shoulder, moving to a cabinet to retrieve the rolls he purchased at the bakery the morning before. "You picked up my glass the other night, at Le Bleu after drinking heavily at Chora's Den … I thought perhaps it might be beneficial for you … but then thought it might offend you, so I left them here instead."

He stopped to watch her as she twirled the cap around, chewing on her lip. Filling a glass with water, he set it on the counter in front of her. "Two capsules will provide you with a few hours of protection, or negate the effects within a few minutes in case of accidental ingestion … or if you find the urge to lick me too irresistible." Thane smirked, holding her gaze when she met his eyes. He let the humor fade from his voice before he continued. "Perhaps taking them now will ease your mind a little?"

Jasmine snorted, opening the bottle and dumping two of the pills into her hand. "Now I think you _want_ me to lick you." She tossed the supplements in her mouth and chased them down with water.

He scoffed and cleared his throat, turning away from her—hopefully before she could see the red of his frills darken. Busying himself with preparing food and drink for the two of them, he let the silence stretch, leaving her to fill it as she willed.

With his task completed, and the silence still lingering, Thane decided to give her answers to her earlier question. He picked up the tray with the tea, snickering as she struggled to work the bottle of pills into her too-tight pants pocket. She picked up the tray with their plates, following him to the dining table.

Pouring _cinuela_ into cups, he passed one to her, accepting a plate from her in return. "I've spent many years now lost to my battle sleep."

"Battle sleep?" Jasmine lifted the cup to her lips, blowing gently on her _cinuela_.

Thane leaned forward, turning his plate around to give him better access to the pile of diced _mahata_ fruit. "Surely you're familiar? With your chosen profession?" He looked up at her to see her watching him over the top of her cup, her eyebrow raised. "Mmm. The separation of body and soul, allowing the body to do as it's directed without concern?"

Her eyebrows twitched, understanding dawning in her eyes. She nodded, and lifted a shoulder. "For brief moments … though, it isn't always easily obtained. Certainly not for years at a time?"

"You are fully present when you take your target's lives?" Something in his mind shifted, pieces of a puzzle falling into place. It'd explain so much about her; certainly the sleeping pills and alcohol, if not her current struggle with her past drug abuse.

"Less and less so the longer I do my job, but certain circumstances still make it difficult for me to make that separation, yes." She took a sip. "I take it you don't have that problem anymore?"

Thane sat back in his chair, letting both sets of eyelids blink opened and closed several times. "It's never been an issue, perhaps it comes easier for drell. Our minds work very differently." He didn't tell her he chose to be present while he hunted down and killed the men responsible for his wife's death, but otherwise, not even his earliest kills touched his soul.

Jasmine smiled. "Oh, I don't know, I think we do a decent job relating to one another when we try."

Thane leaned forward again, resting his elbows on the table and clasped his hands together. "Indeed." He picked at his plate a moment. "Some things happened a few years ago, leaving me without reason to ever wish to leave my battle sleep. I was … content there, in my isolation, unfeeling." He lifted his eyes to hers once more. "Until I met you."

Jasmine froze with a piece of cheese halfway to her mouth. Slowly, she lowered it back to her plate and leaned back in her chair, a slight tilt to her head as she watched him.

"Needless to say, knowing you has made it quite difficult to remain indifferent to the world around me. I confess, at first it did nothing to endear you in my eyes. Your persistence, your … fire, there demanding to be seen, to be heard … I thought the gods sent you to punish me." Thane raked his thumbnail over his brow, letting his eyes drop to his plate. "Emotions began breaking through. Annoyance, fear, anger … pain. Memories I didn't want to be forced to deal with … moments of my past. I prefered dealing with them on my own terms, in my own way. Now, I'm finding it less and less under my control."

Jasmine frowned, picking up her cup to hold in front of her face, sipping here and there but never putting the cup back down. Grateful she didn't speak, giving him the time to process his thoughts, he took a moment to do just that before continuing.

"Still, the more I observed you, the more I realized you possessed certain qualities I admired. The depth of which you cared for Rift … and seeing how attached he'd grown to you. Your stubborn willingness to risk your life for him." Thane lifted his shoulder in a shrug, blinking away memories of Jasmine. Fighting against the way they tugged at memories of Irikah, he refocused his thoughts on what he wanted to say.

"But with the bad, so comes the good. Pleasant memories, still painful in their own right, but a reminder … I've been doing a great injustice to others by only remembering the ways I failed them." Thane cleared his throat, swallowing against the knot trying to choke him.

"My own fondness for Rift and the other drala'fa became apparent. I began seeing you less as an adversary and more as a mystery to be solved. Or perhaps a chance at redemption. If I could convince you the path you're on wasn't in your best interest … If I could save you from losing everything as I did." Thane scoffed and shook his head. "I only succeeded in offending you further … perhaps pushing your further down your path and putting you in danger."

The air felt heavy in his lungs, the dull ache in his chest threatening to rear its head once more. "I digress. I suppose the simple answer would be: I'm nice to you because I've come to care about your well being and it pleases me to do so."

Jasmine settled her cup back onto the saucer and pulled her leg up, bracing her foot on the edge of the chair. She wrapped her arms around her knee, pressing it to her chest and picked at the _mahata_ on her plate. Chewing thoughtfully, as she cast flitting glances at Thane.

After a moment she smiled and cleared her throat. "Well, I can't even say you're the first person to think being roped with me was a punishment." She chuckled, the sound hollow. "Though I don't think anyone's ever thought they could find redemption through me." She picked at the food on her plate, tearing a piece of _elyine_ meat into bite sized pieces. "Thane, you've got to know that my life, my choices and mistakes are mine to make. I can't pretend to understand whatever it is you've been running from, but you're not the only one with demons. You can't fix me; it's on me to do … and it sounds like your energy would be better spent trying to fix yourself."

Jasmine popped a piece of the _mahata_ in her mouth, chewed twice and smirked. "But uh, if it helps, I like you better this way, and if fills my twisted little heart with glee knowing I got under your skin without even realizing it."

Thane scoffed but smiled, pouring them both fresh _cinuela_.

"Though, knowing it actually hurt you takes some of the joy out of it." She cleared her throat, changing the subject. "So, you said a few years … how long exactly have you been doing this work?" Jasmine lifted the cup to her lips, blowing across the surface.

"I first began my training twenty-six years ago." Thane waved a hand at nothing, picking up his own mug. "I spent some time doing other work, an attempt to leave this life behind. Inevitably, I found my way back to what I do best. It's all I really know."

Jasmine sputtered, nearly choking on her tea. "Twenty-six years? Christ, how old are you?"

Thane laughed and handed her a cloth napkin. "I will soon be thirty-three. And you?"

Jasmine's mouth hung open, her eyes wide. "Just turned twenty-five." She shook her head. "Wait. You started training to be an assassin at six-years-old?"

_You're still so young, even more so being human._

"Indeed." Thane folded his hands on the table.

Jasmine plopped back against her chair, pulling her other leg up to rest both feet on the seat. "God, I thought I had a fucked up childhood."

"It wasn't as bad as you might imagine. My family is a part of the Compact, and they gave me to the hanar to serve as part of that. It's an honor, and I was well cared for." Thane smiled, trying to reassure her.

Jasmine covered her mouth with the napkin and stared at him, unblinking for nearly a minute.

Thane shifted, uncomfortable under the weight of her gaze and lifted his cup to his lips. "Will you tell me about it?"

"About what?" Jasmine dropped the napkin back to the table.

"Your childhood." He took a swallow of his tea before setting the cup back down. "If you're comfortable sharing."

"Uh… ." Jasmine croaked, the strangled sound dragging the word out. "Uh, yeah. Okay. Um, well the first few years were pretty normal I guess. Nothing major. I had a mom and a dad, a dog named Max." Jasmine lifted her shoulder. "Then at about five or six my father had an affair with the lady next door. Things got really ugly between my parents over the next few years."

She took a sip of her _cinuela_. "At eleven, my dad walked out on us. Just left, and never came back." She settled the cup on her knees, letting her gaze roam over the room, looking everywhere but at Thane.

He winced, lifting his cup with trembling fingers to hide his face; to hide his shame.

"My mom couldn't handle it, she killed herself about a month later. I came home from school one day and found her dead on the bathroom floor." Jasmine swallowed. "There was so much blood. I'd never seen so much blood before."

_So much blood._

Thane bit down on his tongue, begging Arashu not to allow him to give voice to the memories he couldn't fight back. Jasmine's voice still reached him, but her words barely cut through the horror surrounding him.

She cleared her throat. "They put me in foster care, but I had trouble adjusting, and I ran away. Ended up living on the streets. About a year later I learned my father died in a plane crash."

Thane blinked, the images of his blood soaked apartment fading away once more, leaving him exhausted and rattled to his core. A part of him insisted he make her leave. Too much, she pulled too much from him, and she was going to destroy him. He found he couldn't though, not with her making herself so vulnerable to him; sharing her secrets, letting him see her soul.

Jasmine drained the rest of the tea in her cup before setting it back on the saucer. "I managed on my own. Did some things I'm less than proud of to survive. Then later, some things I'm completely ashamed of to keep red sand in my system." Jasmine ran a hand over the top of her head, smoothing down her hair.

"I met Geoffrey when, at seventeen, I got attacked by some assholes a few blocks from the Alliance recruitment office he worked at. He uh, he saved me. Then he took me into his home, and his wife helped me get sober." She smiled, turning her attention back to him. "They're good people; they'll take excellent care of Rift."

Thane swallowed hard, using his cup again to hide the emotion. He cleared his throat, assuring himself his voice would be steady when he spoke. "You care for them greatly."

"I do." Jasmine fidgeted with her cup, using the handle to turn it back and forth on the saucer. "I know this isn't the life he wanted for me … and oh, he was so proud when I told him I wanted to enlist, but we both know this is still far better than what I would've had without Geoffrey and his family."

"He knows what you do?" Thane's brow twitched.

"Yeah." Jasmine tapped the side of her cup with her index finger. "My handler wasn't happy about it, but he knew me well enough to understand keeping that honest connection with Geoffrey was … necessary. Karin and the girls don't know, of course. They only know whatever I do is classified … I think it would break Karin's heart." Jasmine shook her head and drained her cup. "I really shouldn't be talking about this; about them."

Jasmine dropped her feet to the floor and stood up. "I should go. Thank you, though." She waved her hand at the contents of the table. "For all of this. It actually did help. It's nice, you know, to just sit and talk. Get out of my own head for awhile, but it's late."

Thane stood, blinking as he processed her sudden shift in behavior. She was fleeing from him again, and he hated the relief it brought. Jasmine smiled in his general direction, moving past him to retrieve her jacket still on the couch. Thane followed her, watching as she slipped her jacket on. Pulling the bottle of herbal supplement free of her pants pocket, she turned it over in her palm, her brow furrowing as she shoved it in her jacket pocket and zipped it closed.

Thane took a hesitant steps closer, stopping when she turned to face him. "Jasmine, I understand your hesitancy to speak about your family—"

She shook her head, avoiding his gaze. "They aren't … they aren't my family."

"They are, and you love them dearly otherwise you wouldn't be in such a hurry to leave now." Thane frowned, sympathy for her a crushing weight on his shoulders. "I hope you know they are safe from me, and I won't betray the trust you've shown me tonight."

Jasmine took a deep breath and met his gaze. "I really want to believe you."

"You have my word." Thane extended his hand to her, nearly pulling it back when she stared at it without accepting.

Jasmine swallowed, nodding her head and slipped her hand into his. "Thank you."

Thane dipped his head to her before walking her to the door.

Jasmine reached for the door controls and stopped, chuckling as she turned back to him. "You should be careful, things keep going like this and I might actually stop thinking you're an arrogant ass."

Thane scoffed. "And I might stop thinking you're an obstinate child in need of time out."

Jasmine tilted her head back in laughter. "See, you had the perfect opportunity there to say 'spanking' and you totally missed it. Christ, I've taught you nothing."

Thane blinked, tilting his head to the side. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

Jasmine grinned, mischief sparkling in her eyes. "Goodnight, Thane."

He frowned, even more confused by her lack of explanation. "Goodnight, Jasmine."


	12. Michael Winston

**A/N: It's been brought to my attention that the beginning of this chapter might be particularly upsetting to some people. So, I would like to warn you that there are scenes with graphic violence between a male and a female, with the apparent intent of sexual assault and/or murder.**

 

**Michael Winston**

_Michael Winston threw his arm over Jasmine's shoulder. "Jewel, there you are. So, some of the guys are having a party on campus tonight. You in?"_

_Jasmine turned her head to look up at the man she knew to be The Prophet, and she plastered a smile on her face even as she suppressed a shudder. "Yeah, sure! What time?"_

" _Seven? 'Til whenever?" Winston shrugged. "Oh, hey! Look, there's James. Come here, I want you to meet him."_

_Jasmine glanced in the direction Winston pointed, feigning the need to search through the crowd to figure out who he pointed at. She let her eyes skim past Leon twice before settling on him. Still, she couldn't keep the corners of her mouth from twitching when she took in his broad shoulders and mane of golden, curly hair._

Jasmine tossed in the bed, the sheets twisting around her thighs.

" _Where are we going?" Jasmine could feel her heart rate already increasing. Her fingers itched to check that her knives were still secured at her lower back._

_Winston lead her through the noise filled streets surrounding NYU's campus. The party dragged on long into the night; still in full swing when Winston grabbed her hand and led her from the frat house. She reminded herself that Leon wouldn't be far. He'd be in the shadows somewhere, following them, watching her. She fought back the urge to search the dark alleys for her lover's face, desperately wishing she could walk away from this and tell him she couldn't do it … but Jasmine would never, ever walk away from a challenge. If the Alliance—and more importantly—Leon thought she could do this, then she would damn sure do it._

She groaned, throwing an arm out to slap against the mattress.

_He had her against the wall, running his tongue down the outside of her throat. His hands groping at her chest, his thigh shoved between her legs. "Whore," Winston whispered in Jasmine's ear._

" _Michael!" Jasmine raised her voice, shoving at his chest. Her hand creeping up her leg to reach her knives. He pressed her so close to the wall, she could feel them digging into her back, but she couldn't quite reach them._

_His hands clamped down around her throat, and he shook her. "Whore!"_

_Jasmine gasped for air, all thoughts of her training and her job fleeing her mind. Leon's face watched her from the shadows, his eyes narrowed. Her hands scrambled for Winston's, prying desperately at his fingers. He lifted her, sliding her back against the wall, her toes barely making contact with the floor, and he pulled her back, slamming her hard against the wall. Jasmine's head cracked against the cement with a sickening thud. Darkness stole her vision, her head swimming, pain lancing through her skull._

" _You're a filthy fucking whore. A jezebel. Just like all the others." His hot breath hissed against her ear._

_Jasmine lifted her knee, driving it toward his groin only to have him twist his leg to block her._

She sucked in a desperate gasp, fingers clawing at her own throat.

_Winston kicked her in the stomach, spittle flying from his lips as he yelled at her over and over again. "Whore!" Kick. "Whore!" Kick. "Worthless fucking whore!" Kick._

_Jasmine rolled to the side, slamming her foot out, catching him in the knee. Winston dropped to the ground, gasping in pain and shock. Jasmine pulled herself up on all fours, her eyes catching Leon's. He leaned against the wall, barely hidden in the shadows now, arms crossed over his chest. Leon smiled at her and nodded his head._

_She reached behind her, a wail of pain escaping her lips as she drew one of her knives. Winston was pulling himself back to his feet. She had to do it now, or he'd kill her … and Leon would watch. God, why wasn't he helping her?_

_Jasmine scrambled forward, pulling herself up to her knees and knotted her fist in the back of Winston's hair, keeping him from rising to his feet. "I'm not your fucking whore." She stabbed him, low in the kidney. "You sick sonofabitch." She stabbed him again, her blade entering his lung. She could hear the hiss of air seeping out, bubbling blood to splatter against her chest. "Fuck you, asshole." She pulled her arm back and rammed her knife in again, feeling the blade scrape across bone, sinking into his heart._

Jasmine flailed, throwing her palms against the mattress to push herself upright. Her heart slammed against her chest over and over again as she sucked in ragged breaths of air. Gaze darting all over the apartment, she reached for her pistol, catching herself before she could pick it up. She raked her hands through her hair before the tears clouded her vision. "Fuck."

* * *

The pain in her ribs became a little too insistent for her to continue to ignore on her fifth loop around. Jasmine slowed to a jog, continuing another quarter of the way around the track before dropping her speed to a walk. Finishing the loop, she stopped and leaned against the safety railing, looking down over the gym floor below. She winced, lowering her head to to rest against the metal and took in slow, deliberate breaths, letting her heart rate drop.

Sweat slid through her hair and down her temple to seep into the corner of her eye, stinging. She rubbed her eye across her arm and stood upright. "Ow." Silently, she cursed whoever ' _IAmTheWalrus'_ was and their need to drudge up one of the worst moments in her career, posting about it on ' _Assassins Unveiled,'_ and triggering nightmares she couldn't shake.

_Why the hell would they even post that shit? It's ancient. They really think someone's going to solve the mystery after four fucking years? Right. Because I really needed to remember that sick fuck._

Maybe she'd contact Leon, ask him to have the post about The Prophet taken off of ' _Assassins Unveiled.'_ He'd probably think she was overreacting, it didn't identify her in any way, but still, she didn't like seeing it up there. Obviously, it was causing her problems.

_If I do that, though … he'll want to talk about it again. And he'll end up seeing that I'm on there all the time recreationally. It'll be pretty hard to explain away discussing my underwear and what my hair smells like with Ares._

Jasmine paced back and forth, glancing back down to the gym when the doors opened and a group of marines came in, laughing and rough housing with one another. That was her cue to go, she was definitely not in the mood for conversation or cat calls. She made her way back to the door that opened up on a flight of stairs leading down to the main floor, stopping to grab her bag and towel from the floor along the way. Running the towel over her face and neck, she draped it over her shoulders and made her way down the stairs.

"Hey, Salazar! Wait up!" The marine's voice, she recognized as Denver, echoed across the gym, followed by the sound of footsteps pounding over the floor.

"Shit." Jasmine turned, smiling as she lifted her arm at Service Chief Mark Denver and waved. She liked him too much to just ignore him and walk away. He was one of the few at the Alliance training center that didn't treat her like a potential lay.

He slowed to a jog as he neared. Coming to a stop in front of her, he ran a hand over his chestnut colored buzzcut and smiled. "Haven't seen you in a couple of weeks." He glanced down, shifting a basketball in his hands and froze.

Jasmine followed his gaze to the still fading bruises covering the expanse of skin between the hem of her sports bra and shorts. Her lips pressed into a fine line, cursing herself for taking off her tank top on the track. The bruises on her face faded to a shade that blended with her skintone, unless she stood under bright lights, but makeup covered that easy enough. The cut on her lip disappeared completely, but cracked ribs took a little longer to heal. She looked back up at him to find him looking at her face, brown eyes narrowed.

_Is the light in here bright enough?_

"Looks like someone put you through the ringer, Salazar. You alright?" Denver passed the ball back and forth between his hands.

Jasmine reached into her bag, digging out her tanktop before dropping the bag next to her feet. "I'm good, nothing for you to worry about." She pulled the tanktop on, tugging her hair and the towel free.

"You sure? Because me and the boys will gladly go kick someone's ass if you want. I mean, you're one of ours, and we look out for our own." He grinned at her. "Just say the word."

Jasmine snorted and shook her head. "I appreciate the offer, Denver, but I don't need your court martial or demotion hanging over my head." She smirked. "Besides, what makes you think I didn't already take care of the job?"

Denver laughed, holding a hand up in surrender. "Alright, alright. I'm tracking with you." He resumed tossing the ball back and forth between his hands. "Well damn, I was going to see if you wanted to play some ball with us but it looks like that might not be the best idea."

An easy smile spread across her lips, and she shook her head. "Give me a raincheck?"

"You got it. Take it easy, Salazar. I'll catch you later." Denver saluted her, waiting long enough for her to return the gesture before turning on the balls of his feet and running back to his fellow marines.

* * *

"We're … friends now, right?" Jasmine opened her water bottle, spinning the cap around in her fingertips before glancing at Thane. She'd barely made it out of the Alliance training facility before she'd made up her mind to pay him a visit.

Thane chuckled. "Do friends get sweat all over each other's furniture?"

Jasmine threw the cap from her bottle at him, scrunching up her nose when he caught it without blinking. "It's not like you're not going to move again in a couple of days."

He grinned, taking a few steps closer before leaning down to drop the cap on the coffee table in front of her. "Indeed. And I suspect it will be two days after that before you knock on my door again."

"How else am I supposed to rub it in your face that I can find you?" Jasmine flashed her teeth in a smile.

"Ah. Perhaps you'll tell me how it is you do keep finding me?" Thane moved around the table to sit at the opposite end of the couch.

Jasmine followed him with her eyes, turning in her seat to face him. "Sure, when you tell me how it is you keep finding me."

_Christ, he's sexy … No, nope. Uh uh. We're not going there, remember?_

Thane tapped his fingers on the arm of the couch, the corner of his mouth lifting in a lazy smirk. "Friends … yes, I suppose we are." He shifted, turning a little more toward her. His head tilting to the side. "Why do you ask now?"

His smile sent butterflies fluttering in her stomach, and the soft rasp of his voice felt like a live wire to her nerves. She cleared her throat and rubbed her fingertips across her forehead.

"I may need to ask a favor," Jasmine said, dragging out the first part of the sentence, she ended it with an uptick, making it sound like more like a question than a statement.

His brow twitched, and he turned further to face her. "How can I help?"

Jasmine drained half of her water, grabbing the lid from the table and twisting the cap back on. "There's another thread on ' _Assassins Unveiled'_ that I'd very much like to _not_ be there."

"About you?" Thane stood, moving around the couch to sit at his desk, opening his laptop.

"Yeah." Jasmine followed him, standing next to the corner of the desk.

Thane logged on to ' _Assassins Unveiled'_. "Your handler won't remove it for you?"

Jasmine pursed her lips and picked at the edge of his desk.

Thane looked up at her when she didn't answer. "Jasmine?"

"I … I don't want to have to ask him." Jasmine lifted her shoulder. "So, I thought maybe you'd be willing to take care of it for me."

Thane blinked at her, his green irises just visible beneath the darkened layer. "I usually don't deal with these matters myself. You're comfortable with having my contact deal with it?"

Jasmine chewed on her lip. "They got rid of the last one?"

"Indeed." Thane held her gaze.

"What'd it cost you?" Jasmine raised an eyebrow.

"Ah, nothing you should concern yourself with." Thane waved his hand, brushing aside the question.

"Well, I'm the one asking this time so whatever it is, you've got to let me take care of it." Jasmine pushed, raising her other eyebrow.

"I don't think that's how favors work." Thane chuckled.

Jasmine rolled her eyes, ignoring the way his gaze made a pitter patter in her chest. "Alright, whatever. Yeah, if you can get your contact to make it go away, I'd greatly appreciate it."

Thane smiled and stood up, moving away from the chair. Gesturing toward the laptop he said, "Show me this thread."

After his comment about her getting sweat on his furniture, Jasmine felt self-conscious enough to not sit in his desk chair. Instead she pushed it aside, and ignoring the protest in her ribs, bent at the waist to rest her forearms on the desk as she typed.

* * *

Thane took a step back, putting a little more distance between himself and Jasmine as she bent over the desk. The soft curve of her shoulder, the dip of her spine … the roundness of her hips … Thane cleared his throat as quietly as he could and looked away, focusing his attention over her shoulder on the laptop screen, tucking his hands behind his back.

Jasmine finished and took a step back, turning to face him. Something dark flashed in her eyes when she met his gaze. It disappeared too quickly for him to give a name to, but not so quick that he didn't want to reach out to her, offer her whatever comfort she might find in his arms.

She moved away from the chair, waving him to the computer. "This one."

Thane dipped his head, moving past her to reclaim his chair. Jasmine paced away from him, returning to the couch to drink her water. He watched her over his shoulder as she fidgeted with the bottle cap before turning his attention to the screen.

He read through the thread three times, trying to understand why Jasmine was so bothered by the post. If anything, if this was indeed her work, he expected she'd be proud. The Prophet sounded like quite the quarry to take down, especially for one so early in their career.

Thane turned his chair to face Jasmine. "I don't understand, I see nothing here that could be used to identify you?"

"Uh, yeah. I know. That's not my concern." Jasmine stood, returning to stand next to him. "It's uh … the unpleasant memories it dragged up." She bit her lip.

Thane glanced back to the laptop, if for no other reason than to keep himself from staring at her lip pinched between her teeth. "I see." He understood unpleasant memories all too well, and if he could help ease her mind, he would do so gladly. He turned back to look up into her rainforest colored eyes. "I'll have it taken care of, consider it done."

He could see the worry fade, leaving her eyes bright and sparkling in the light cast from the lamp on his desk. She smiled, and he couldn't help but to do the same. Settling her hand on his shoulder, she squeezed gently before letting her fingers slipped away … and he wished she'd put them back.

"Thank you." Jasmine wandered back over to the couch, squatting to pick up her gym bag. "I should get out of here, go take a shower." She grinned at him. "I don't want to get sweat all over _my_ furniture."

Thane laughed and stood, following her to the door. "I'll let you know when I've received confirmation."

Jasmine stopped, nearly causing him to bump into her, and turned to face him. "You should do something to let me say thank you. Are you busy tonight? You could stop by, and I'll make you dinner. Maybe we can call Rift?"

_I'd be delighted._

Thane smirked. "You can cook?"

"You know … you really don't have to act so surprised." Jasmine shook her head, her hair swinging gently from side to side.

He chuckled and dipped his head. "I'd like that."

"Great!" Excitement filled her eyes. "Just whenever you're ready. Message me about a half hour before you head out?"

"I'll do that." Looking into her eyes, his couldn't help but to smile.

* * *

Thane watched his screen in silence as the other drell, Theodus, accessed ' _Assassins Unveiled'_. He read over the thread, his eyes darting back to Thane in confusion. Leaning back in his chair, he folded his hands over his abdomen, swiveling the chair slowly from side to side.

Thane tilted his head. "Is there a problem?"

"This isn't about you, Krios. It's about that human woman who was tracking you, isn't it? Why bring this to me?" Theodus leaned forward, studying Thane's face.

Thane let a slow breath seep from between his lips. "She asked for my help."

Theodus raised his brow ridges. "She asked for your help? She was spying on you … and now she's asking for your help?"

Thane spread his hands apart and shrugged before bringing them back together again in front of his face. "I'll agree to a higher fee, if you'd like."

Theodus sat back in his chair again and shook his head. "I'm not asking for more credits; I'm trying to understand why you're helping her? Why you're asking me to help her? I thought she was someone you wanted to get rid of?"

"The circumstances have changed." Thane lifted his shoulder again.

He trusted Theodus as much as he trusted anyone he paid to handle things for him, but he didn't exactly consider the other drell to be his friend. Their working relationship didn't entitle Theodus to insight into Thane's rationale, only credits for his time and services. One of the best at what he did, Theodus was also discreet and charged reasonable rates, but sometimes his curiosity got the better of him, and he asked too many questions for Thane's taste.

Theodus held his hands up in surrender. "Alright. I'll do it. Although, if this is going to become a habit of yours, you might consider introducing us. Let her come to me herself next time, it'll save you some credits."

Thane chuckled, relief easing tense muscles in his back. "I'll take that under advisement. Thank you."

"Sure. It'll be a couple of days, I've got other clients and this doesn't look urgent. Nothing there to identify her really … hardly seems worth the cost. Are you sure you want to pay for this?" Theodus arched his brow, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"I'm certain, and I'm sure she'll understand the delay." Thane dipped his head at Theodus. "Please contact me when it is done."

"Of course." Theodus nodded, lifting a hand in a wave before cutting the call.

Thane stared at the laptop for a few minutes, unmoving. Glancing at the time, he frowned realizing it was still so early in the day. It would be hours still before he could justify going to Jasmine's apartment for dinner. Perhaps he could message her, though. He did tell her he'd let her know when he received confirmation … but he could just as easily do that in person when he went to see her. He could wait. Nevermind that fact that he felt … whatever it was that he felt for her.

_You know what this feeling is, you've felt it before. You—I do the both of us an injustice by pretending it doesn't exist._

Breath catching in his throat, he closed his eyes and pressed his palms against his lids. Unbidden, Jasmine's smiling face danced before him. He shouldn't be thinking of her, seeing her when he closed his eyes. He shouldn't be feeling this, not when Irikah died because he dared to love her. Shame washed over him in thick, bitter waves, trying to coax memories of Irikah free from his mind.

What would she think of him now; watching him from across the sea? He'd abandoned her and their son, allowed his confidence to make him complacent. He left his family for too long of stretches at a time. Irikah died because he wasn't there to protect her, because men hated him enough to take from him the one woman he'd ever loved … and here his heart was opening to another. He'd left their son behind, only to let the absence of another child bring him to tears. Did she feel betrayed? Did she curse his name from the distant shores? When his time came, would she welcome him with open arms the way he remembered her doing so many times when he returned home after long months absent?

_I'm sorry, Irikah._

Was this why the gods put Jasmine in his path? A punishment afterall?

_It doesn't feel like a punishment when I'm with her._

" _Have you ever truly lived your life?"_ Irikah's words filled his ears, distant memories resurfacing once more.

Thane sat back in the chair, allowing the memory to consume him.

_Music. Soft, barely at the edges of consciousness. Gentle voices singing of a lover's embrace. A woman laughs, three tables to the right. Dishes clatter. Silverware scraping across ceramic. So many people. I can't keep track. Only one that matters._

_Her finger dances over the candle's flame. She sighs. Her breath sweet, like music to my ears. How did I manage to convince her to come here tonight? Light illuminates her scales. Prismatic colors reflect off gold wrapped around her delicate wrist. She cups her cheek. What would it feel like to touch her face? Her gaze meets mine. Pale green irises reveal themselves behind sunset colored ocular scales. The most beautiful I've ever seen._

" _But were you ever given the choice? That's all I'm trying to say. Have you ever truly lived your life?"_

_I look away. I know she's right. It's an honor to serve the Compact, but to be given over to it so young. It was never my choice. Would I have chosen differently? I can't imagine that I would've. Yet here, now … I find myself wondering what life I might live. She smiles at me, and all thoughts flee my mind._

" _You could find happiness, Thane, if you let yourself."_

Thane smiled, bittersweet nostalgia tainted by the pang of guilt washing the memory away. "I never thought to find it once, how can I have found it a second time? Would she even have me? One so different from her?"

_I watch her reflection. Her back turned to me. I could step in and snap her neck before she thinks to turn. She shifts her weight from foot to foot. Her focus on the man on her omni-tool. I can barely hear her over the music and the crowd. "He uh… he mentioned a contract but that's all I know." She turns, looking over her shoulder. I see her face clearly in the polished surface. She looks … concerned. I'm unable to make out the features of the man she speaks with._

" _Can you describe him for me?" His persistence endangers her life. I don't wish to kill her, but will if I must. My muscles coil, prepared to strike. She will be dead before she can describe me. Approach from the left to avoid the omni-tool's view. "Sure, he looked like a giant, fit gecko." I don't know this word. It surprises me. I hesitate. She rubs her forehead. Her shoulders tense beneath black leather. "He was a drell, that's about all I got." Her lie confuses me._

"Fit gecko." Thane shook his head, leaning forward in his chair and rubbing his hands over his face. "But still …."

_Shepard makes her way back to the table. Tight blue jeans outlining the long lines and lean muscles of her legs. Ruffled, blue blouse camouflages the bandages wrapping her ribs. She favors her right side. Still forcing herself upright. Spine stiff, head held high. The crowd parts before her. Men and women alike watch her as she moves. She doesn't seem to notice them. I know I should keep my eyes on Ares. He's unknown. A potential threat. I watch her anyway. Her eyes find mine, and her face lights up with a smile. For a moment, there is no one but her. My breath catches in my throat. It's only relief that she no longer seems ill at ease._

Lips lifting in a smile, Thane takes a heavy breath before letting that memory fade and pulling up another.

_Her head tilts back. Black hair sweeping over her shoulders. Laughter escapes her lips. I close my eyes and smile. It should alarm me how much I've come to enjoy this sound. Sickness grips me, twisting my stomach as I recall how close she came to death. How close I came to never hearing this sound again. I clear my throat. The thoughts and emotions making me uncomfortable. I tell myself it's only the shock of being ripped from my battle sleep._

_She glances at me and smiles. Warm. Comforting. Her eyelids flutter, her gaze shifting. Looks at the bowl sitting in front of me. Diced mixed fruit still untouched. She reaches out and grabs a piece. Bare fingers slick with juice. I raise a brow, but don't deny her. She slides it between her lips. Grins at me. I remind myself she's only behaving this way because she's intoxicated._

Thane groaned, scrubbing his hands over his face again as he began to question his sanity.

_She uses her fork to steal another piece of fruit. Dips it in the chocolate syrup on her plate before eating it. Eyes flutter closed. She moans. Turns her attention to Ares and smiles. He chuckles at her. She steals another. Dips it again. Leans toward me, holding the fork out to me. I'm shocked. Heat rushes to my frills. Eyes open wide. I lean back, shaking my head. Surely she doesn't understand what she offers. "You seem to be enjoying that. I'll leave you to it." She shrugs, returning the fork to her own mouth. I swallow._

More memories rose to the surface, unbidden but not entirely unwelcome. Thane let them wash over him, his lips lifting in a smile every time he recalled one of hers. Chuckling with her jokes; feeling his heartbeat stutter in his chest with every memory of every innocent touch. He felt again their shared pain of watching Rift leave, and he felt the pressing need to comfort her while she struggled with the things that haunted her. He spoke the word 'friend' aloud, feeling it sour on his tongue just as it did the first time.

Finally, no less confused than before he allowed the memories to begin, Thane pushed them away and stood. Stretching his arms above his head he realized hours had passed, and yet it still wasn't nearly late enough for him to go to her apartment. His stomach grumbled in protestation at his neglecting to eat a midday meal. Thane prepared himself a light snack to quiet the rumbling in his stomach, standing at the kitchen counter to eat before washing and drying his dishes.

Moving into his bedroom where he had more open space, he took off his jacket and vest, draping them over the edge of the bed. He started with light stretches, loosening his muscles before running through a series of katas. Punching and kicking at empty air until his arms and legs burned with the exertion, he cleared his mind.

Feeling centered once more, he returned to his desk, only to immediately realize his mistake. The laptop remained opened, the ' _Assassins Unveiled'_ thread that brought Jasmine to his door staring him in the face. He couldn't help but notice that the comment count on the thread had grown since he last looked. Thane shook his head, dismayed with his own stubborn persistence in thinking about the woman. His friend. It had been so long since he'd had a friend.

He clicked on the comments section, the thread unfolding to reveal a long list of replies. His brow twitched when he spotted Jasmine's username, ' _TellMeNow360'_ among them. Unsurprised, he found that most of her comments were a disturbing mix of playful banter and shameless flirting with other users; Ares among them. His fingers twitched, reaching for the keyboard.

_I shouldn't._

And yet he did. Thane clicked on one of Jasmine's comments and hit 'reply.' It didn't take long for her to become frustrated with him, sending back snide replies to his baiting. He chuckled as Ares joined in, teasing and taunting Thane under the guise of ' _WhatIsThePointOfThis.'_ He began dropping hints to Jasmine, phrases they'd used in conversation that he suspected she would pick up on with ease without revealing publicly that they knew each other outside of the forum. It took him several responses to realize that she knew quite well who she was talking too, but enjoyed toying with him.

He grinned with the realization, understanding that she was far more skilled at manipulating this particular medium than he. Perhaps he would compliment her on it when he saw her for dinner. Tracking her through the threads, they played cat and mouse with one another. He left comments on replies she'd left days before, in some cases even weeks. He even left a few for Ares and gave some poor soul a hard time over their atrocious language skills. He was beginning to see why she spent so much of her free time on the website, even stopping to read some of the original posts.

" _Ohhhhh ... I have a feeling this associate of yours is going to kick your ass one of these days."_ Jasmine replied to one comment, alluding to another where he referred to her as his 'associate.'

He smirked, imagining the vexed look on her face. " _She's welcome to try ... again."_

" _I'd be willing to bet you've underestimated her."_

Memories of her perched in the rafters, her sniper rifle trained on the elcor crept to the surface of his mind. " _Perhaps once, but no longer, I assure you."_

Mere seconds past before her reply appeared. " _Maybe you should tell her that."_

" _Perhaps, when she's ready to hear it."_ Thane steepled his fingers, waiting for her response.

" _What makes you think she's not ready to hear it?"_ Again, her response was swifter than expected. He had her full attention.

Thane grinned, pleased by the discovery. " _She's rather fond of threatening people with violence and food."_

" _Maybe you just bring that out in her?"_

Thane laughed, easily able to see her smirk. " _Couldn't be, I'm far too kind of an individual to illicit such vehemence in others."_

" _Kind, huh? What, you do her a lot of favors or something?"_

Thane took that to be her asking for verification. Perhaps he should've called her right away. Nevertheless, he could set her mind at ease now. " _Indeed."_

" _I bet she's more ready than you'd think."_

Thane sat back in his chair, letting his eyes drift over the words on his screen. He didn't want to read into something that wasn't there … but it seemed like her last response meant something more. No, he was being foolish. Wistful, for something that was no longer a part of his life. She had called him her friend, surely if there was something more there she would say so. Jasmine was nothing, if not blunt. He glanced at the clock and opened his omni-tool, typing in her extranet address.

" _Shall I join you now?"_ Thane sent the message and let his eyes drift back to the laptop screen while he waited for her response.

A moment later his omni-tool pinged and he opened the message. " _Sure, whenever you're ready."_

Thane smiled and closed the lid on his laptop.


	13. Reed Jacobson

**Reed Jacobson**

Jasmine looked around her, taking a deep breath and rubbing her sweaty palms on her thighs. The apartment all but sparkled with cleanliness, and she'd finished the prep work for dinner hours ago. The almond crusted chicken and rice pilaf were in the oven. She looked in the refrigerator to make sure the salad wasn't wilting and touched the bottle of wine to see how cold the glass felt. She'd spent over two hours hitting up markets on the Citadel known to import food items from Earth, there weren't many and they were scattered. She'd gotten lucky, finding everything she needed for a decent meal.

With everything in order, why the hell did she feel so anxious? Her nerves hadn't twisted her up this bad since basic training, not outside of a job, anyway. Jasmine sighed, rubbing her palms briskly against her thighs again. Dinner with a friend wasn't something to be nervous about. She felt confident enough in her ability to cook, but still she worried he wouldn't like what she made. She knew a few dishes from the Council races, but she wanted to make him something from her home. Maybe she should've stuck with something that'd be more familiar to him. Well, she damn sure didn't have time to make anything different now; he'd be there any minute.

Jasmine went to the bathroom to look in the mirror. Taking her hair down she ran the brush through it before pulling it back up again. She scrunched up her nose and pulled the ponytail holder out again. Running her fingers through her hair, she shook it out to give it some volume. She picked up the bottle of herbal supplements Thane gave her and opened it, tapping the bottle against her palm. The pills spilled out, forming a little mountain in her hand, and she shoved most of them back inside, leaving out two. Using the glass she kept in the bathroom, she poured herself a glass of water from the tap.

_What are you doing, Jasmine? You never leave your hair down. Except for the occasional date, but this isn't a date._

She rolled the capsules around in her hand, shaking them in her fist before popping them in her mouth, chasing them with water. Dumping the rest of the water out, she set the cup back on the edge of the sink and glanced at her reflection. Jasmine growled at herself in frustration, but picked up her tube of lip gloss and applied a fresh coat anyway.

_He's probably not even remotely into you; you're human. Not everyone is comfortable outside of their species, and you've been around him half naked now—what?—three times and he didn't even try to look. Besides, he's a freelance assassin. That's a whole lot of complicated you don't need in your life. And … he's your friend. You don't have many of those. Don't fuck this up._

Looking at her hair again, she compromised. working it into a loose braid. Before she could rethink it any further, the buzzer on her door rang. Jasmine took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm the swarm of butterflies in her stomach.

_Christ, Jasmine, even if this was a date—which it's not—you don't get nervous! Chill._

Jasmine left the bathroom and went to the door, running her hands down the front of her blouse to smooth out the non-existent wrinkles before she activated the monitor. Seeing Thane standing in the hallway brought a giddy smile to her face, and she opened the door. "Hi, come on in." She stepped aside so he could pass her.

He smirked, stepping through the door. "That's a first."

"What is?" Jasmine asked, heading back to the kitchen to check on dinner.

"You usually just open the door and walk away; threaten to shoot me if I don't come inside immediately." Thane followed her to the kitchen, his gaze roaming over her apartment.

_Yeah, yeah, I cleaned, too._

"I can still do that if it makes you more comfortable." Jasmine grinned, hitting the button on the oven to check the timer. "It'll still be about ten minutes."

"Is there something I can help with?" he asked.

"Uh," Jasmine said, glancing around the kitchen and dining area, "yeah, you can set the table if you want." She opened cabinets, pulling out dishes and a brand new tablecloth, setting them on the counter for him.

"I'd be happy to." He picked up the tablecloth and moved to the table, shaking it out and snapping it in the air before letting it settle down to the table's surface.

Jasmine watched him out of the corner of her eye, smiling to herself as she pulled the bowl of salad from the refrigerator and carried it to the table. Thane moved past her, going to the counter to gather the dishes before returning to the dining room. Choosing chairs at opposite sides to set the plates in front of, he positioned them to face each other directly when they sat down. She returned to the kitchen to bring back fresh bread, dressings, and the wine.

"I know you don't drink, but it kind of goes with the meal. I've got tea as well, and water, of course, if you prefer?" Jasmine went back to the cabinets, waiting to hear Thane's drink choice before she pulled down glasses.

"I'll have a glass of wine." Thane glanced up at her, settling the last piece of silverware next to a plate.

Jasmine cocked an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"It goes with the meal." Thane smirked, waving his hand over the table. "Though, I wouldn't mind a glass of water as well."

Snorting softly, Jasmine pulled down wine glasses and tumblers for water. "Wine and water it is, then." She filled the tumblers with ice water, carrying them, along with the wine glasses, to the table. Opening the bottle of wine, she filled both glasses before setting them next to the plates.

The timer on the oven beeped, calling Jasmine back to the kitchen. She glanced over at Thane, finding him wandering around the living room while she busied herself getting food out of the oven and transferring it to serving dishes. She hoped he appreciated the extra effort. Half the dishes they were using she'd only just bought so she could make him a nice dinner, and she'd probably never use them again.

She brought the rest of their meal to the table, adjusting dishes so they were easily accessible to both of them. Thane stood next to an end table, his back to her with his head down. Curious, Jasmine made her way over to him, stopping next to his shoulder.

He looked at her and smiled, holding up the candle in his hand. "Jasmine?"

She grinned. "It's not vanity, I swear." Reaching across to tap the picture of the small, white flowers on the label, her arm brushed against his as her fingernail clicked against the glass jar. "The plant is called Jasmine." She dropped her hand, lifting her shoulder in a shrug. "I like the way it smells."

"Indeed, it smells lovely." He settled the jar back down to the table.

"Everything's ready." Jasmine nodded over her shoulder toward the dinner table.

* * *

Thane lifted his wine glass to his lips, using the motion to distract himself from staring at Jasmine. He'd been concerned the evening would be awkward or strained after spending half of the day obsessing over her while he attempted to sort through his feelings. It wasn't though; things were going smoothly, the conversation flowing from topic to topic with ease. They'd discussed the expected delay before Theodus would remove the thread on The Prophet, the last book he read, her favorite old Earth vids—something she called _The Lord of the Rings_ movies—and now they spoke with ease about their work experiences.

He had to admit, he found it appealing, being able to openly discuss his work with someone he felt a connection to. She smiled and laughed with him over silly mistakes, lamented with him when he told her of a contract that went poorly in his early years. Never did she look at him with open horror, or thinly veiled disgust. Irikah accepted his profession, in the end, supporting him when he returned to assassinating as a freelancer. He could never truly share that part of him with her, though, and it wasn't a part of him she truly embraced.

Not that he intended to compare Jasmine to Irikah. He'd always love his wife, and would always mourn her as long as he drew breath. Whatever he felt for Jasmine, it'd never replace what he felt for Irikah. Yet he found it soothed his wounded soul, being there with Jasmine, where he saw no disgust or horror; only avid curiosity and camaraderie.

She looked away from him, pushing rice into a pile on her plate before scooping some onto her fork and lifting it to her mouth. Thane took another small sip of his wine, settling the glass back to the table, he returned his attention to his plate and the conversation at hand.

"Well, I mean, it's hardly fair." Jasmine took a drink from her water glass, already having drank half her wine. "Humans don't have the luxury of recalling every detail of every experience we have."

"You don't remember your first kill?" Thane raised his brow ridge, he'd expected with the way thread on The Prophet bothered her, something as significant as her first kill would really make a lasting impression.

"Oh, yeah, I do. Just not every detail." Jasmine lifted her shoulder in a shrug.

Thane smiled, leaning back in his chair. "What do you remember?" It fascinated him, hearing her recount her experiences; so different from his own eidetic memories.

"You really want to hear about it, or are you just looking for more cannon fodder to tell me how terrible of an assassin I am?" Jasmine chuckled before taking another sip of her water, watching him over the top of her glass.

Thane shook his head, waving his hand at nothing in particular. "I assure you, my first kill … let's just say I survived by luck far more than skill." He leaned forward, gazing into her eyes and dropped his voice without meaning to. "I _want_ to hear about it; will you tell me?"

Jasmine blushed, her neck and cheeks shifting from the color of the bark on the _hanna_ trees of Kahje, to the color of the skin of the _hannalene_ fruit they bore. Wishing he knew what thoughts had flustered her, Thane leaned a little closer. Propping his elbow on the table, he rested his chin on his fist.

She squirmed in her seat, adjusting herself to mirror him, and let out a sigh. "Alright. His name was Reed Jacobson. Only a year younger than me, just turned twenty. He worked for an information technologies firm back on Earth called TerraTech. The Alliance marked him because he'd been using his position at the firm to hack into the Alliance's computer systems and stole very sensitive, classified information. They did a full investigation into him, but for whatever reason …," she said, shaking her head, "I can't remember, they weren't able to follow through with the charges."

Jasmine picked up her wine glass, draining the contents before setting it back down. Thane lifted the bottle, holding it out in offering, and she nodded her head. He took her glass, holding it at an angle as he poured the dark wine. Setting the glass back down within her reach, he looked back up to find her watching him, a slight smile tugging at her lips. Something about the look in her eyes left him wanting to run his fingers over the curve of her frill-less jaw. Schooling his features, he raised a brow ridge, encouraging her to continue.

"I was nearing the end of my training, so my handler stayed with me the entire time. He coached me through stalking Jacobson for over a week." Her cheeks reddened again, and she broke eye contact with him, gently clearing her throat.

He could tell that she censored herself, and it only piqued his curiosity, but he wouldn't press her. He waited for her to continue, giving her the chance to work through her thoughts.

"He walked home from work every night; only lived two and a half blocks away. Leon wanted …" Jasmine paused, giving a rueful shake of her head. "I really shouldn't be using his name. Anyway, he wanted me to use my knives. Said if I was going to be doing this job, I needed to be able to handle the feel of someone's blood on my hands." Scraping up the last remains of rice pilaf on her plate, Jasmine lifted the fork to her mouth, chasing it with a heavy swallow from her water glass.

She chuckled, shaking her head. "I waited in an alley a block away from his house for an hour before he showed up. It was cold, and my fingers were starting to go numb. My handler was deeper in the alley, ready to step in if something went wrong. I must have looked back at him twenty times, even though I wasn't supposed to look at him at all." She leaned back in her chair, sliding her wine glass along the table's surface to keep it within reach. "When Jacobson finally showed, I panicked. Instead of calling him into the alley; playing the damsel in distress to lure him to me, I watched, frozen in place, as he walked past."

Thane kept his expression neutral. He understood her hesitancy all too well. Only twelve when he made his first kill, he still had what sounded like years of training on Jasmine when she made hers. It was foolish of the Alliance, to send assassins out so unprepared. The hanar and other drell of the Compact were as dedicated to his training as he'd been, taking the time necessary to ensure his success.

"I heard my handler coming down the alley, and I bolted. Ran out of the alley, barreling down the sidewalk at Jacobson." She scoffed, shaking her head. "I stumbled. Dropped my knife, and almost fell flat on my face. Jacobson heard me—of course—and started to turn around. I barely had enough time to draw another knife and bury it in his lower back before he caught sight of my face. Hit his kidney by luck. He couldn't scream … that kind of pain's too bad. But of course you already know." She waved a hand at him.

Thane chuckled and dipped his head. "Indeed. I also know it's a slow and painful death."

"I didn't leave him to die like that, though I did hesitate." She took a sip of her wine, setting the glass back on the table before twirling it back and forth by the stem. "God it was a mess."

Jasmine stood up, picking up her plate and leaning across the table to take his before carrying them to the kitchen. Thane pushed his chair away from the table, gathering up serving dishes to help. Carrying them to the kitchen, he set them down on the counter.

Jasmine squatted in front of a low cabinet, pulling out storage containers. "Had it been anyone but a twig of a man who spent his every waking moment sitting in front of a computer, things would've gone differently, I'm sure. Leon would've had to step in." Jasmine scoffed, shaking her head. "I'm sure he would've loved that."

"You aren't very fond of your handler, are you?" Thane opened one of the storage containers, sliding the remaining piece of chicken into the container before sealing it and picking up another.

Jasmine stood, leaning against the counter, her lips parted. Taking in a slow deep breath, she let it out again just as slowly. "He's not—wasn't just my handler."

Thane's fingers twitched, adjusting his grip on the bowl of rice, he focused his eyes on the task at hand, hoping Jasmine hadn't noticed. "Oh?"

Jasmine picked up the salad bowl, transferring the rest to the last storage container. "We were together. Uh, dating, I guess. For awhile."

Thane risked a glance at her. Brow furrowed and a frown on her face, Jasmine lifted a shoulder in a shrug.

Picking up the containers, she turned her back to him to put them in the refrigerator. "I was young and stupid. It didn't work out. Which honestly is a good thing, because once my training ended we wouldn't be able to see each other much … and even though we don't have all the same regulations as the rest of the Alliance, relationships with subordinates is still frowned upon." She turned around, closing the refrigerator and leaned against the door. "He's a good handler, though. A little bit of an ass, but he's there when I need him."

Thane chuckled, moving the dishes to the sink. "You think I'm an ass, too."

Jasmine grinned at him. "Yeah … but you're a whole different kind of ass." She pushed away from the refrigerator. "Don't worry about those, I'll take care of them later."

Thane raised his brow ridge, the corners of his lips lifting as he recalled the stack of dishes he'd washed for her once before.

"I will." She laughed and took the salad bowl from his hands, setting it in the sink. "Call Rift with me?"

"Sure," Thane said, following her out of the kitchen.

Jasmine retrieved her laptop and brought it back to the dining room table, settling back into her chair. She pulled another chair over closer to her, patting the seat. Thane sat down, acutely aware of the warmth radiating from her body next to his. He took a shallow breath, her scent washing over him; his heart thudding in his chest. Opening the laptop, Jasmine logged in using her fingerprint before placing the call to Rift's omni-tool.

Ringing only twice before the call connected, Rift's face appeared on the screen. Gasping as his eyebrows shot up, a smile lit up his face. "Jasmine!"

Jasmine grinned, adjusted the laptop a little so Rift could see Thane. Turning in his chair to better face the camera, he leaned a little closer to Jasmine.

"Sere Krios!" Rift squealed, the image on the screen shaking as he sat up on what appeared to be a couch.

Thane chuckled at the boys enthusiasm. "Hello, Rift. You look well."

Seeing Jasmine turn to look at him out of his peripheral vision, he turned his head to look at to her. She smiled at him, warm and soft before turning her gaze back to the screen. He let his gaze linger until Rift's voice demanded his attention once more.

"It's so awesome here!" Rift pushed himself from the couch. "Let me show you my room. Oh, and my bike!" Rift looked down, his focus leaving the omni-tool. "Lucky, move, I'm tryin' to walk here."

"Rift? Where are you going, buddy? We've got to get back to your studies in ten minutes!" A woman's voice came from somewhere behind Rift.

Thane suspected it must be Geoffrey's wife. Jasmine glanced back at Thane, the same warm smile on her face he couldn't help but return.

"I'm talkin' to Jasmine, Mom. I wanna show her my bedroom and my bike. Is that okay?" Rift hollered back.

A moment later, the woman's voice came from somewhere much closer. "Of course. Make sure you take Lucky outside with you when you go, and don't forget his leash this time." The torso of a woman moved into view before she squatted down next to the boy. "Hi Jas—Oh, you've got company." The woman blinked pale blue eyes, her smile faltering momentarily.

"That's Sere Krios." Rift grinned at his new mother. "He's my friend, too."

Recognition lifted the woman's blond eyebrows, her smile growing. "I see. Hello, Sere Krios, it's nice to have a face to put to the name. Rift talks about you frequently, he says before meeting Jasmine, you were the nicest person to him on the Citadel."

Thane chuckled, despite the unease of being faced with the stranger. "Indeed. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Williams." If Jasmine trusted her, he tried to assure himself he had nothing to be concerned with.

"Oh please, call me Karin. Any friend of Rift's is a friend of mine." Karin turned to smile and wink at Rift.

"Very well, thank you, Karin." Thane dipped his head, hoping it wouldn't be perceived as rude of him to not extend her the same courtesy.

Karin smiled brightly at him before turning her attention to Jasmine. "Call me later, Jasmine. Okay? We need to catch up." Something shifted in her face, concern creeping into her eyes. "No matter how late."

Sucking in a slow breath, Jasmine nodded. "Sure."

"Alright, well, I'll let you get back to your call." Karin stood, her hand coming into view to smooth down Rift's hair. "Be sure to tell her how well you're doing with your studies." She ducked back into view of the omni-tool. "He'll be ready to start at a 'real school' by the end of summer."

"Rift! That's fantastic!" Jasmine beamed at him,

Karin disappeared from view and Rift continued on down the hall to his bedroom, chattering the entire way about everything he learned while Karin homeschooled him. Jasmine whispered, just loud enough for Thane to hear, assuring him Karin didn't know what they did for a living. He found it mattered far less to him if the woman knew he was an assassin, than it did that Jasmine trusted him with her family as much as she did.

Rift sounded very excited about the prospect of going to a 'real school' and being allowed to sign up for something called 'baseball.' Thane would make a point of looking into what this 'baseball' entailed later. Rift talked about his puppy, Lucky, while struggling to get a leash on the squirming dog's collar, the images on the screen a chaotic flurry of golden fur and fumbling fingers.

Jasmine snickered at his efforts, glancing at Thane before leaning her shoulder against his briefly. Grinning, Thane hesitated only a second before doing the same, pressing his shoulder against hers. She held his gaze as her smile grew and bumped against him again.

"Are you two going to kiss?" Rift's voice drew their attention back to the screen, his nose curled up in disgust.

Heat creeped up Thanes neck, and he coughed into his fist. Glancing at Jasmine, he saw her staring at the screen with wide eyes before she recovered enough to laugh; the sound sharp and ringing false to his ears. Still, her cheeks held the same blush he'd seen earlier.

Jasmine shook her head. "Why would you think that?"

"Because you're looking at him the same way Mom does before she kisses Dad." He scrunched his nose up further, his lips pursing, and his eyes crinkling around the edges. "It's soooo gross, and they do it alllll the time."

Thane forced a smile on his face, willing a calm to wash over him. "Kissing is gross?" Curiosity teased at the edges of his mind. Was Jasmine looking at him like she wanted to kiss him?

_He must be mistaken. Children have such active imaginations._

Rift nodded sharply, his small head jerking up and down twice. "Yuck."

"So, you don't have a girlfriend yet, Rift?" Jasmine asked.

"Ewwwww, no. Girls are gross, too." Rift left his room, leading Lucky through the house.

Jasmine gasped, drawing Thane's attention to her. He chuckled, seeing the dramatic look of shock on her face.

"Not you, Jasmine. You don't count. Neither does mom, or Samantha, or Angela, or Jessica, or Mila." Rift grinned at her, opening the door; sunlight splashing over his face.

"Uh!" Jasmine blew out a loud breath, slapping her hand against her chest, fingers splayed.

Thane laughed, looking back at the screen. "I don't think you made it any better, Rift."

"Jasmine," Rift whined, tilting his head to the side in exasperation. "I didn't mean it like _that_."

Jasmine grinned, propping her elbow on the table and resting her chin in her palm. "Well, how did you mean it, then?"

"Jasmine," Rift whined again, bouncing a little.

She laughed. "Go on, let's see your bike so you can get back to your studies. I want to hear all about your new school next fall."

Rift grinned, and walked around the side of the house. Thane caught sight of what he judged to be a nice neighborhood, trees growing in the yard, a carpet of lush, green turf covering the ground. Rift came to a stop, and turned the omni-tool to face a metal-framed, two wheeled vehicle of sorts.

"Isn't it so cool?" His free hand reached out, grabbing the bike by a handle and pulling it away from the side of the house.

"So cool," Jasmine said.

Thane glanced at her, his heart warming at the light in her eyes as she watched the screen intently. "Indeed."

Jasmine turned her head in her palm, her curled fingers covering most of her lips, the corner of her mouth turning up in a soft smile. It occurred to him, with all of the emotions he'd seen her express over time, he'd never seen her appear shy before that moment. He told himself it meant nothing more than the child broke a social taboo and embarrassed the both of them.

Rift's face appeared once again. "Mom's calling me, I have to go back in now."

"Okay, kiddo. I'll call you again in a few days." Jasmine sat up straight, resting her hand on the keyboard.

"Okay. Bye, guys!" Rift waved at the camera.

Thane and Jasmine both said goodbye before Jasmine cut the call.

* * *

Jasmine closed the laptop lid and snorted. "Well, that was awkward."

"Indeed." Thane chuckled. "He seems quite happy, though."

Jasmine turned in her chair, her knee carelessly brushing against his before he pulled his leg out of her way. She could feel the stupid grin on her face, but didn't care, she felt overjoyed to see Rift doing so well. "He does, doesn't he?"

It was a bittersweet feeling, being reminded of all the things she once had, only to be taken away from her, as they were with Rift; only he got it all back—not the same as what he lost—but he seemed truly happy. Too jaded, already aged beyond her years by her time on the streets, Jasmine didn't find the same level of belonging in the Williams' home as he clearly did. Her smile slipped away from her, and she let out a soft sigh.

"Jasmine?" Thane leaned a little closer, his arm sliding across the table's surface. "Are you alright?"

Jasmine forced a smile back on her face. "Yeah. I just still miss him."

Thane's eyes dropped from hers, the black pools seeming to study his fingers resting on the table's surface. "As do I."

"I want ice cream. Do you like ice cream?" Jasmine pushed her chair back, standing.

Thane looked up, emerald irises peering at her in confusion. "I'm afraid I've never had any."

Jasmine laughed, the last vestiges of tension flowing out of her. She shook her head. "You're hopeless."

Jasmine made her way to the freezer, pulling out a tub of mint chocolate chip ice cream and two spoons. Turning around she sucked in a quick breath, finding Thane standing right behind her. She hadn't heard him follow her into the kitchen.

The corner of his mouth quirked up, his shoulders shaking in mirth. "May I assist?"

"Nothing to assist with." Jasmine grinned, holding a spoon out to him. "I played nice for dinner, but now we're doing this my way and eating it straight from the carton. No arguments."

Thane smirked. "Or you'll shoot me?"

"Exactly." Jasmine moved past him, grabbing her wine glass from the dining room table before making her way to the couch.

She plopped down in the middle, pulling the lid off the carton and laying it on the table. Lifting a spoonful to her mouth, she looked around realizing Thane wasn't sitting down next to her. She spotted him standing in the dining room, watching her.

Jasmine took the spoon out of her mouth and swallowed. "What's wrong? If it means so much to you, get a damn bowl. I'm eating it like this."

Thane smiled, lingering in the dining room a moment longer before making his way to the couch. "Then so shall I."

He sat down next to her, no closer than they'd been while talking to Rift, but she had to admit with him so close, the couch suddenly felt far more intimate. Jasmine swallowed again, the sweet aftertaste of mint and chocolate thickening on her tongue.

She held the container out to him, tilting it so he could more easily see inside. Thane turned a little, dipping his spoon into the ice cream. Following the dessert laden utensil with her gaze, she watched his mouth as he slid it inside. Jasmine licked her lips, getting more ice cream on her spoon to distract herself.

"Mmm. Interesting." Thane chuckled. "Far more appealing than cake."

Jasmine grinned, passing him the ice cream. "Hold this?"

Thane dipped his head, taking the carton from her. She stuck her spoon in her mouth, freeing her hands. Bending down to take her boots off, she heaved a sigh of relief as she shoved them under the coffee table. Turning sideways on the couch, she tucked her feet beneath her, taking a drink from her wine glass before turning her attention back to him. He handed her back the carton of ice cream, and she took another spoonful. They sat in silence for a few moments, taking turns scooping up spoonfuls of the green ice cream and casting furtive glances at one another.

Rift's words echoed in Jasmine's mind. Okay, so she thought Thane attractive. She couldn't even try to deny it to herself anymore, and yes, maybe she'd thought a time or two about making a move on him, but she never really intended to follow through. But surely she wasn't so obvious a child could pick up on it so easily. Was she?

_So what if I think about it from time to time. It doesn't hurt anyone to think. It's not like I'm throwing myself at him. Besides, I know it's a stupid idea. And he'd probably never go for it anyway. And … we're friends now. That would just mess everything up. Wouldn't it?_

"What will he study?" Thane asked, tearing Jasmine away from her inner monologue.

Jasmine looked up from her spoon, blinking her eyes. "What?"

"Rift. What do children on Earth learn about in school?" Thane took another bite of the ice cream, his jaw moving as if he were rolling it around on his tongue.

"Oh." Jasmine tilted her head, lifting her shoulder to meet it halfway. "Math, history, science, literature, terra-biology, xenobiology …." She lifted her shoulder again. "Honestly, I couldn't say. I haven't been in school for many years. A lot of things have changed since then; the curriculum's probably changed, too."

"Xenobiology?" Thane shifted in his seat, angling his body a little more toward hers. "They teach children about other species?"

"It's not detailed. Mostly just the basics; a little more detail on the Council species. We're taught about the dietary needs of dextro species." Jasmine paused, squinting her eyes as she tried to recall what she could from school. "A little about asari reproduction … mostly because it's so different from anything else we'd encountered on Earth prior to entering galactic civilization."

Thane nodded. "It's similar in hanar and drell schools. However, my education was quite different from most other children on Kahje."

Jasmine snorted lightly, her lips lifting in a smirk. "While other children were being taught how to best avoid giving a turian food poisoning, you were being taught the best ways to kill them." Jasmine licked her spoon, turning her attention back to him. "What was it like for you? You were so young … I mean, were you afraid of what they were teaching you? Of what they made you do?"

"I was … disturbed at times, yes. But not afraid of the training. If anything, I feared failing. The hanar saved my people, being a part of the Compact was an honor. I wanted to serve, however they deemed necessary. I …." Thane's eyes widened, the inner lids blinking opened and closed several times as he tilted his head upward. "Crouching in the shadows. Thighs and calves burning with the strain. 'Ignore the pain, it's irrelevant.' His hushed voice comes from behind. Barely even a whisper."

Jasmine's jaw fell open, her own eyebrows twitching as understanding struck her. She reached out her hand, ready to shake his shoulder, but hesitated, fingers barely grazing the leather of his jacket. Unsure as to whether or not she should try to stop him, interrupt the flow of memories from his mouth, Jasmine listened, watching with fascination and dread instead.

Thane paused, his lips twitching, his eyes moving rapidly. "Doubt, strong and demanding. I will fail, I know I will. It's more than I can bear. I'll be sent away, denied the opportunity to serve." He stopped talking, his eyes blinking away whatever phantom images he saw before turning his attention back to Jasmine, appearing fully lucid once again. Gaze following the length of her arm to where her fingertips made contact, he lifted the ridges of his brow.

Jasmine pulled her hand back as quickly as if she'd been burned. Licking her lips, she swallowed. "Sorry, I … I didn't know if I should try to make you stop, or …."

Thane's lips pressed into a thin line before leveling out in a neutral expression, his gaze returning to hers. "I frightened you?"

"No!" The word rushed from her with a heavy breath. "No, I just … I didn't want you to say something you didn't want me to hear."

Thane smiled, his shoulders relaxing as he reached for the ice cream still held in Jasmine's hand. "It's one of the first things drell are taught to control, especially those entering into service to the hanar. None ever completely master it, of course—it is as natural to us as breathing—but for those memories that aren't particularly intense," he said, waving his hand, "it's easy enough to choose to allow them or not."

"You did that on purpose?" Jasmine asked, unsure of what to make of it, but pleased he decided to share the moment with her.

"Indeed." Thane dipped his head. "Sometimes it's easier to convey a thought with a memory."

Jasmine tilted the carton of ice cream toward him, offering him the last bite. He shook his head, holding his hand out in refusal, so she finished it off before putting the lid back on. Taking his spoon from him and nestling it inside of hers, she laid them both on top of the empty carton before unfolding herself from the couch. Thane rose to his feet, following her as she made her way to the kitchen. Disposing of the empty carton, she tossed the spoons into the sink with the rest of the dishes.

Jasmine turned around, leaning against the counter, her palms pressed into the surface behind her. "Share something else with me. Another memory."

Thane chuckled. "Of what?"

Jasmine shrugged her shoulder. "I don't know. Something about me." She grinned mischievously.

Thane blinked at her before chuckling again. "What would you have me share? My memories of watching you struggle to get back through the ceiling panels when we first met, or perhaps your behavior while drunk? Talking in your sleep? How mortified you looked that same night, waking up to find me still there?"

"Ass." Jasmine laughed, reaching out to slap his shoulder.

Thane's hand darted out, catching her wrist before she could make contact, the sudden movement triggering Jasmine's own reflexes and training. Rolling her wrist, she reversed the grip, only to find herself being pulled in against his body. His hand pinned her arm behind her while the other lightly gripped her hip. With one arm held behind her back and the other wedged between them, her palm flat on his chest, they both froze.

Some small corner of her mind told Jasmine from there he could easily spin her around, gaining complete control of the situation, and knowing him, snap her neck. To counter, she'd need to break his hold before he turned her; distracting, painful blows to his instep, groin, and femoral nerve were her best bet with her hands trapped. Neither of them moved.

Suddenly, intensely aware of the feel of his scales beneath her fingers, the curve of solid muscle pressed against her, the warmth of his hand on her hip, Jasmine licked her lips and looked up, meeting his gaze.

"Ah." His voice dry and rough when he spoke, he let go of her arm, his fingers trailing down her back as he let his hand fall away. "My apologies."

Jasmine moved her arm from behind her back, letting her hand drift up to rest against his chest next to her other hand. His fingers twitched against her hip, his eyes boring into hers. His lips parting ever so slightly, Jasmine's heart skipped a beat when his head started to tilt to the side. Breath catching in her throat, she thought for one, all too fleeting moment, he would kiss her, and she realized she desperately wanted him to.

Instead, he blinked his eyes, the inner lids opening and closing rapidly. Dropping his hand from her side, Thane took half a step back. "I didn't mean … I shouldn't have reacted." He pressed his lips together, gently clearing his throat. "My apologies."

Jasmine licked her lips, trying to work up saliva in her suddenly bone dry mouth. Beating back the disappointment flooding her senses, she snorted softly. "Well, to be fair, I _was_ going to hit you." Pushing against his chest to right herself, she let her hands linger, tugging at the lapels of his jacket, pulling them back into place. "Gently, of course," she said, lifting her shoulder in a shrug, "but still." She let go of him, leaning back against the counter, trapping her hands behind her just to keep from touching him again.

Heat crept up Jasmine's neck, spreading out across her chest. Embarrassed not only by her own desires, but by how easily she'd let herself forget who exactly she was dealing with, Jasmine stared at the floor. They were both trained to the point where actions came more from reflex than decision. It didn't matter how comfortable she'd grown to be around Thane, he'd always be one of the deadliest people she knew. She couldn't treat him the same way she would the marines she played basketball with, the way she'd treat Geoffrey, or even Rift and expect him to respond the same way. She'd nearly ruined their evening; things could've gone somewhere real ugly real fast if they hadn't stopped themselves.

"No one got hurt, no need to apologize." It wasn't strictly true, the dull ache in her still healing ribs assured her, but it was inconsequential and nothing she couldn't deal with. Looking back up at him, she forced a grin. Resorting to inappropriate humor, she hid whatever stupid emotions floated around in the back of her head giving her the incessant urge to touch him again, refusing to acknowledge them. "But for future reference, if you really want to get _that_ close to me, there _are_ better ways to go about it."

The frills along Thane's neck, already looking a little darker than usual, turned darker still. Jasmine smirked, feeling some of the tension slip away from her as she regained control of the situation. Dropping his gaze from hers, he tucked his hands behind his back and chuckled.

Appearing far more composed when he looked back up, the self-assured, calculating expression of his slid firmly back into place as he lifted the corner of his mouth. "I'll keep that in mind." Glancing toward the dining room, he shuffled further back from her. "It's getting late, I should be going."

Jasmine pushed away from the counter. "Oh. Okay. Yeah." She led him from the kitchen, around the corner, and down the hall to the front door. "Hey, thanks again for having your contact take care of things for me." Jasmine stopped, stepping to the side to clear the way to the door.

Thane halted, turning to face her. "Indeed, it's my pleasure. I'm … honored you felt comfortable coming to me." He waved his hand, gesturing back down the hall. "Thank you for inviting me over. I had a wonderful time, and dinner was excellent."

Jasmine lifted her eyebrow. "Yeah … you still don't have to act so surprised."


	14. Anastasia Bellefleur

**Anastasia Bellefleur**

" _Irikah?" Thane reached his hand out, gripping her shoulder, trying to tug her around to face him. His fingers slipping across her scales, slick and wet, he lost his grip. Pulling his hand away, he glanced down to see it drenched in blood. Locking closed, his throat ached. "Irikah?"_

_The room was covered in blood, thick and dark, splashes all over the walls and ceiling, puddles soaked into the floor. Arashu, what happened?_

" _You did this to me, my love." Hollow and empty, Irikah's voice sounded all wrong._

" _What? Irikah, what's happened? Kolyat! Where's Kolyat?" He grabbed her shoulder again, gripping her a little harder than he'd ever think about doing at any other time. "Look at me!" He needed to see her face, look into her sunset colored eyes and tell her she was safe now; he wouldn't leave her again, but the small voice in the back of his head begged her not to turn around. It knew … he knew, his wife was already dead._

_Irikah spun to face him, her beautiful sunset colored eyes gone white with death. She opened her mouth and blood poured down her chin. Thane stumbled back, nearly falling over one of their coffee tables, lying broken on the floor. Wounds opened up before his eyes, long gashes and deep stab wounds all over her, blood flowed in thick streams down her body._

" _You killed me, Thane. You'll kill her, too. Your love is poison. But you know that, don't you? It's why you've abandoned our son, isn't it?" Droplets of blood sprayed from her mouth with each word she spoke._

_Thane swallowed, pain shooting through his chest as he shook his head in denial. "Irikah, no. I'm … I'm sorry. I never meant for this to happen to you."_

" _Do you really think she'll love you?" Irikah ignored his apology, the only acknowledgment a macabre smirk. "She'll find out, eventually; that you killed your wife and abandoned your son."_

" _Irikah, please …." Pleading for her mercy, he held his hand out, only to let it fall back to his side when he saw it covered in her blood._

_Her head tilted back, cold laughter escaping her lips. "Do you think she'll forgive you? Do you think she forgave her father when he abandoned her? Her father killed her mother, too, didn't he?"_

" _No." He shook his head, willing his eyes to close so he didn't have to see the blood or her dead eyes, but his eyelids wouldn't obey his command. "I didn't … I didn't kill you."_

_Irikah took a staggering step forward. "You may not have slid the blade in, but you did this to me. You should've been here, Thane. Why weren't you here? He came here, to our home, because of you. You couldn't let it go; couldn't give up what the hanar gave you."_

_He could feel his lungs expanding, pulling in frantic gasps of air but it wasn't enough. "I'm sorry." His voice cracked._

_Scoffing, she took another step forward. "You're sorry?" Another step put him within her reach. "You're sorry?" Her hands darted out, sliding blood slick fingers over his chest, latching onto the lapels of his jacket. "Sorry for what, Thane? You were just doing what you're trained to do, right? It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known. Right? So tell me, what exactly are you sorry for, my love?"_

_Thane winced, her mocking tone cutting him deeper than the ice cold feel of her hands. "It is my fault." Tears welled up in his eyes, spilling down over his cheeks but doing nothing to obscure the gruesome visage in front of him. "It's my fault … Irikah, I'm so sorry."_

_A sneer spread across her face, and she dropped her hands. Leaning in close, pressing her cheek against his, she whispered in his ear. "I wish I never met you."_

_Thane opened his mouth, struggling to find the right words, praying something could be said that would convince her to forgive him. Pain blossomed in his abdomen, white-hot and blinding. Gasping in shock, he stumbled back, his hand drifting up to clutch desperately at the source, his fingers brushing across something hard and sharp, creating a fresh wave of agony. Pulling his gaze away from Irikah's grim face, he looked down to see a dagger—Stiv Kay's dagger—embedded deep in his viscera._

Thane's eyes snapped open. Gasping for air, his gaze darted around, finding nothing but the familiar shapes of his own bedroom. Embracing the pain in his chest and the tears in his eyes, he rolled to his side. Filled with self-loathing, he clung to the nightmare. Refusing to let it fade, he plunged into his memories, losing himself in the blood and gore.

* * *

Splashing water on his face, he washed away the dried tears before patting himself with a fresh towel. Taking a deep breath, he pressed his palms into the counter and stared at his reflection in the mirror.

_Perhaps it's time I left the Citadel. I can message her, explain myself once I'm gone … too far away to be tempted to change my mind. Maybe I can find a contract elsewhere, reach out to my contacts and tell them I'm looking for work off of the Citadel. Surely she would understand, I must go where there's work._

Thane closed his eyes and Jasmine's face danced on the back of his eyelids. She put her trust in him, shared so much of herself with him, and he knew it wasn't something she did lightly. She was … his friend. He couldn't leave without the courtesy of telling her to her face.

_I need … perhaps a walk will help._

Making his way back to his bedroom, Thane opened his closet, retrieving his clothes, and dressed himself. Sitting on the edge of the bed to put his boots on, he let out a shuddering sigh, running his hands over his face before folding them in prayer.

_Kalahira, mistress of the darkest depths, guide me through this night, for I am weary and lost. I beg of you, offer solace, as only you can, to the restless soul I failed in life. Please, Kalahira, give her peace._

Thane left his apartment, accepting Kalahira as his guide, he let his feet lead him where She willed.

* * *

Jasmine groaned, rolling over in her bed to drag her pistol from the nightstand. The doors buzzer rang again, and again, only to be followed up with loud, urgent banging. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was only four in the morning, and she'd only been asleep three hours. No wonder she felt like shit. Climbing out of bed, she slipped on her robe and made her way to the front door.

Activating the security monitor, Jasmine furrowed her brow when she saw an extremely agitated looking Mouse waiting outside. She unlocked the door and hit the door's release. "Mouse? What's wrong?" Jasmine glanced down either side of the hall outside her door, making certain the no one followed him.

Mouse glanced at the gun in her hand before peering up at her face. "Jasmine, you've got to come with me. Sere Krios got hurt."

"What? Where is he?" Grabbing the collar of Mouse's shirt, she dragged him inside before closing the door.

"He's not makin' any sense. We can't get him up on our own, and I know he'll be upset if we get C-Sec. But he said your name, so I thought …." Mouse wrung his hands, glancing down the hall toward her living room.

"Mouse!" She shook him by his collar, trying to get him to focus. "Where is he?"

Mouse looked up at her, wide-eyed, and shook his head. "He's not far. I—I can take you there."

Jasmine let go of his shirt and turned, jogging back to her bedroom to get dressed. "Wait there, I need to get some clothes on."

_Oh God. Oh God. Oh God._

Setting her pistol on the nightstand, she moved to the dresser. Yanking open drawers, she pulled out the first pair of pants and socks she came across, and threw them on her bed, not caring she didn't have on a bra beneath her tank top. "Mouse, what happened to him?" She shrugged off her robe.

"Um … I think he got shot. In his stomach, maybe? I don't know. There's so much blood." Mouse's voice trembled, high and tight with strain.

_Jesus Christ._

"Is anyone with him?" She stepped into her pants, pulling them up and fastening them. "Did you see who shot him?"

"I—I don't know. Mila, Sarah, and Connor are with him right now." His voice came from a little closer to her bedroom. "Please hurry."

"I am Mouse, I am, I promise." Jasmine slipped on her socks, before sliding on a pair of tennis shoes and a hoodie. Holstering her pistol at her side, she tugged the hoodie down over it. Grabbing a hair tie off the nightstand, she left the room pulling her hair up in a messy ponytail. "Let's go."

* * *

Jasmine maneuvered the skycar back into the alley Mouse pointed out, landing right behind the duct rats gathered around Thane. They were only four blocks away from her apartment. Technically illegal to land a vehicle outside of Citadel approved zones, Jasmine didn't care, she needed the skycar close and the alley would provide enough seclusion it wouldn't draw attention. Hopefully.

Out of the car before it even settled completely to the ground, Jasmine rushed past the two gawking, human pre-teens to crouch down next to Thane and Mila. Slumped against a wall, Thane half laid, half sat in a small puddle of his own blood. His chin resting against his chest and his eyes closed. If not for the shallow rise and fall of his chest and shoulders, she'd think she saw a dead man sitting there.

_Oh, sweet Jesus. What the hell happened to you?_

The young asari, knelt next to Thane, her blood-soaked hands pressed against his abdomen, tears streamed down her face when she looked up at Jasmine. "I don't know what to do."

"You're doing fine, Mila. Just keep putting pressure there." Jasmine glanced over her shoulder. "Mouse, look in the skycar for a first aid kit." Jasmine watched him long enough to be sure he intended to do as she said. Turning back to Thane, she hooked her fingers beneath his chin and lifted his head up.

His eyes opened, the emerald of his irises, just barely visible in the dim light, diminished to a thin ring around dilated pupils. "Irikah?" His eyelids fluttered twice before sinking closed again.

"Hey, come on. Open your eyes. I need you to look at me." Jasmine shook his chin gently, trying to encourage him to stay with her.

His eyelids fluttered again, refusing to stay open. "I can't. I … I'm sorry, Irikah."

"Who—Who's Irikah?" Mila sniffled.

Jasmine shook her head. "I don't know." She glanced over her shoulder, wondering what was taking Mouse so long. "Mouse!"

"Found it!" He climbed out of the back of the skycar, running back over to Jasmine's side. Squatting down next to her, he opened the first aid kit.

Jasmine's heart sank. The kit was stripped nearly bare. All that remained of use to her were clotting sponges. She'd have to make do, and get him to a hospital. Fingers trembling, Jasmine struggled to pull loose the buckles of his vest before yanking down the zipper. "Th—Krios." She caught herself, remembering he used only his last name with the duct rats. "Krios, this is going to hurt. Hey, can you hear me?"

He didn't respond, not even so much as a flutter of his eyelids. Jasmine bit her lip, nodding her head at Mila to get the girl to move her hands. Carefully pulling back the leather, she winced when Thane whimpered. Glancing at him, she saw his eyes moving behind closed eyelids. Jasmine hissed, pulling the vest the rest of the way to the side. He hadn't been shot, but stabbed—three times. The bleeding slowed to a trickle thanks to Mila's quick thinking, but by the looks of things, if the kids hadn't found him when they did, he very well might've died.

_Hell, he still might. Dear God, please don't let him die._

Jasmine forced steel into her spine, and started stuffing the first clotting sponge into the wound losing the most blood. An agonized cry escaped Thane, only to be cut short with an audible snap of teeth. Jasmine glanced up at him, finding his eyes wide open and locked on her, his jaw clenched tight.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, the knot in her throat threatening to choke her. "I've got to stop the bleeding so I can move you. You need to go to a hospital." She pushed the sponge in a little further, feeling the muscles beneath her fingers spasm.

"No." He put his hand on her wrist. "Leave me, Jasmine. It's my time."

Jasmine's hand froze, her gaze slowly lifting to his, her brow furrowing. "Like hell it is."

Mila started sobbing, and Thane's gaze flicked to her briefly before settling back on Jasmine. He smiled serenely at Jasmine, just a faint upturn of his lips, igniting a fury inside of her she hadn't felt toward him in a long time. Jasmine clenched her jaw, shoving the clotting sponge deeper inside, almost finding satisfaction in the way it wiped the smile from his face.

"Mouse, get Mila out of here. Take her back there with the others." Jasmine didn't take her eyes off of Thane's as she spoke. Aware at how harsh her words sounded, she forced a softer tone. "Help her get cleaned up."

Mouse didn't speak, only moved to Mila's side and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, helping her to her feet. Jasmine picked up another sponge, but Thane grabbed her wrist again. She glowered at him, wanting to yell, call him every name she could think of and tell him how stupid he was acting.

Instead, she leaned in close, putting her cheek right next to his so she could whisper in his ear. Seething, she let her emotions seep into her voice, the words coming out in a hiss. "I don't know what the _hell_ your problem is, but there is _no fucking way_ _in hell_ I'm going to sit here and just let you bleed out. Especially not in front of those kids. You're _not_ doing this to them—to me." Jasmine pulled back, staring into his eyes again. "It's not happening."

"My wife is dead because of me. I don't deserve to live. Please, Jasmine … take the drala'fa and go. You needn't watch, just leave." The sorrow in his voice unmistakable, Thane tightened his grip on her wrist. "Please."

Jasmine blinked, slowly processing his words. Little pieces of the puzzle that was Thane Krios falling into place inside her head, tears welled up in her eyes. Taking an unsteady breath, she blinked them away. "No. Let go. I'm not going anywhere."

"Jasmine …." His eyes begged her to leave.

"No." Her jaw ached from being clenched so tight.

Lips turning down into a frown, Thane's brow furrowed. "Why—"

"I said no!" She didn't mean to raise her voice, and she flinched, her stomach sinking when Mila's sobbing started up again.

Thane sighed, dropping his hand from hers in defeat. "As you will … siha."

Jasmine's brow twitched, she didn't know what the hell 'siha' meant, but she wasn't going to waste more time questioning him. For all she knew, he just called her the drell version of 'bitch'. She'd be just fine with it, so long as he let her finish stuffing his wounds and get him the hell out of the alley before he lost too much blood to make it to the hospital. Keeping her focus on the task at hand, she ignored the feel of his eyes on her as she worked.

Finishing, she wiped her bloodied hands on her jeans and waved Mouse back over. "I need you to help me get him on his feet, okay? Just do what I do, alright?"

Mouse nodded his head, watching as Jasmine slid an arm behind Thane, draping his arm over her shoulder. Mouse moved to Thane's other side and did the same, pushing himself up slowly when Jasmine gave him the go ahead. Thane groaned, but bent his knees, sliding his feet beneath him to help as much as he could.

Jasmine glanced down the alley as they made their way, painfully slow, to the skycar. A flock of curious onlookers gathered at the mouth of the alley, but so far, none were brave enough to venture into the shadows to get a better look. "C-Sec will be here soon. Mouse, help me get him in the car, and then you guys need to get out of here right away. If anyone asks, you don't know him, you don't know what happened."

Mouse scoffed. "I know, Jasmine. Don't know who the lady is that helped him away either, if they ask. Can't really describe either of them, it was kinda dark, and I was scared. If they keep askin', I'll start cryin' and they'll leave me alone. Always do."

Jasmine snorted, glancing at Thane. "You teach him that?"

Thane's features were pinched in pain and concentration, but still he looked at her and gave a little shake of his head. "Didn't need to."

"Life taught me." Mouse broke away, leaving Jasmine to support Thane's weight alone while he opened the skycar doors.

The reminder of the cold life Mouse and the other duct rats lived only served to sober her mood further, draining away what little relief she felt from Thane's cooperation. "Yeah. I imagine it did." Jasmine guided Thane a few more steps, lowering him into the passenger seat of the skycar.

Moving to the driver's side, she stopped to let her gaze roam over the backs of Mouse and the others as they disappeared down the alley. She climbed into the skycar and closed the doors. "Do you know where the nearest hospital is?"

"Not—the nearest, no. If you must, please, take me to the hanar." Thane winced, pressing his palm into the seat beneath him, shifting his weight. Ragged breaths rocked his shoulders as he coughed, the sound wet and filled with phlegm. Groaning, he leaned against the door, his head resting against the window.

_Jesus Christ, please don't die._

"Where? I don't know where you mean." A spike of panic sent her heart racing, seeping into her voice, making her screech.

Thane rolled his head along the glass to look at her, both sets of eyelids blinking slowly. Opening his omni-tool, he ran his fingers over the keys before reaching his hand out toward the skycar's navigation system, syncing the information from his omni-tool to the device. Jasmine didn't wait for the VI to start feeding her directions before starting the vehicle, getting it into the air.

* * *

Jasmine settled the car down outside of the small hanar clinic. Conservative, the building stood out from its neighbors only in how much it _didn't_ stand out; certainly not big enough to be an actual hospital. She leaned over, nudging Thane gently. He'd talked incoherently for awhile on the ride before eventually falling silent, slumped against the door. Jasmine tried to rouse him, but never got more out of him than groans of pain and mumbled apologies.

She shook his shoulder. "Thane, wake up. We're here, and I can't carry you." She shook him a third time when he didn't respond. "Thane?" Leaning over further, she felt for his pulse, her blood running as cold as ice in her veins when she could barely feel the slow thump against her fingertips. "Jesus," she whispered, opening the skycar door.

Jasmine ran to the clinic's doors, slamming her hand against the door's release controls. The door slid open, revealing a tranquil waiting room with soft music playing over the speakers and constructed waterfalls lining the walls. Hanar moved about, but with no uniforms or name tags of any sort, Jasmine couldn't tell the patients from the doctors. Spotting a reception desk at the far end of the room, she made a beeline straight for the hanar stationed there.

The hanar bobbed gently, their bioluminescence glowing softly. "This one welcomes—"

Jasmine raised her hand. "Yeah, hi. Listen, I've got a seriously wounded drell outside. He insisted on coming here. I can't get him out of the car on my own, can someone please come help me?"

The hanar lit up like the streets of Earth on Christmas Eve. "This one will send assistance right away."

Using a tentacle to push a button on the console in front of them, the hanar started to speak into the comm, but Jasmine didn't stick around to listen. She ran back out to the skycar, climbing into the driver's side on her knees. Cradling Thane's head with one hand, she slid the other under his arm and, as gently as she could, pulled him away from the door so it could be opened without him falling out.

She glanced up, spotting the clinic door opening. Jasmine left the skycar, running around to the other side to open the passenger door. Three hanar and an asari rushed to her side, a stretcher floating on mass effect fields between them. Jasmine reached into the car, ready to help pull Thane out when she felt gentle hands on her shoulders, trying to pull her back.

Jasmine shirked the hands off of her, throwing a glare over her shoulder at the asari. "Don't touch me." Her voice calm, but assertive.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but please allow us to move him. It's for his safety." The asari smiled warmly, just as calm and assertive as Jasmine.

Jasmine wanted to slap the smile off of her face, but instead took a deep breath and held her hands up, backing away. The hanar wrapped long tentacles around Thane's appendages, guiding him as the asari surrounded him in her biotics, lifting him from the skycar. Thane let out a pained groan, twisting Jasmine's stomach with a strange mix of relief and renewed worry.

The asari turned back to Shepard, the glow of biotics fading from her once Thane lay on the stretcher. "Ma'am, do you know what happened to him? What can you tell us?"

Jasmine rubbed her palms together, watching as the near-black flakes of dried blood fluttered free of her hands. "Three stab wounds to the lower left side of his abdomen. I packed the wounds with clotting sponges … there wasn't much else of use in the cab's first aid kit."

The asari opened her omni-tool, her fingers running over the display as the hanar started moving the stretcher toward the clinic. "Good, that's very good, ma'am. Do you know if he has any allergies to medications?"

"I have no clue." Jasmine rubbed the back of her wrist—one of the only places free of blood—across her forehead.

"Is he on any medications?" The asari waved Jasmine to her side as she followed the hanar.

"I—I don't know. I'm sorry, I can't answer these types of questions." Jasmine swallowed, a sick feeling wrapping its tainted fingers around her esophagus, threatening to force her to purge her stomach all over the asari's cute boots. If after all her effort to save him—all her prayers, begging God to keep him alive—if he died because she didn't know if he had any allergies to medications ….

They entered in time to see the hanar rushing Thane off through a set of doors at the back of the clinic. The doors slid closed behind them, the green glow of the release turning red. Jasmine broke away from the asari, jogging to the door, the sound of the asari's heels clacking on the tile behind her.

"Ma'am!" The asari grabbed Jasmine's shoulder, trying to pull her to a stop. "Ma'am, you can't go in there!"

Jasmine grabbed the asari's hand, spinning around, putting her in a wrist lock. Panic nipped at the edges of her mind, snarling like a pack of wild dogs, urging her to strike. She sucked in a deep breath, the fear in the bulging eyes of the asari doing little to quell the rising storm in Jasmine.

Letting go of the asari, Jasmine took a step back, rubbing her palms on her thighs. "Sorry," she mumbled, glancing around the clinic, "I didn't mean … where are they taking him?"

"It's alright." The asari smiled, the gesture not reaching her eyes. "I understand you're afraid for your … friend, but I must warn you, if you can't control yourself, I will be forced to restrain you." Threading her fingers together, she dropped her hands to rest in front of her. "They are taking him into surgery, depending on the severity of his injuries, it might take several hours. If you wish to help him, I can give you forms to fill out as much as you can, but you must wait out here."

Jasmine clenched her jaw, wanting to put the asari on her ass but knowing damn well it would only draw further unwanted attention to her, and probably result with her getting hung up on the ceiling with a Singularity. She cleared her throat, shaking her head. "I don't think there's much I can answer, but fine, sure."

A hanar approached from behind the asari, stopping just behind her. "Forgive this one for interrupting, but this one believes that this one knows the patient and can be of service."

Jasmine's eyes narrowed, her fingers twitching, itching to draw her pistol and demand to know who the hell the hanar was.

The asari turned to the side, relief filling her voice. "Beleno, oh good, I'll give you the forms to fill out, then. Do you know Ms. …?" She drew out the word, glancing at Jasmine.

Beleno. Jasmine knew the name. Beleno was the hanar that sent Thane after Felton. Still, it didn't mean Thane trusted this hanar … didn't mean she should trust them, either. "Salazar."

"This one has not had the opportunity to meet Ms. Salazar, but it would please this one to wait with Ms. Salazar, if she would allow." Beleno shifted, turning to face Jasmine squarely.

Jasmine crossed her arms and shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"

"Excellent." The asari nodded her head to Beleno. "I'll bring you the forms." She walked away without a second glance at Jasmine.

"This one believes the corner behind you, next to the waterfall, looks like a pleasant place to wait." Beleno's bioluminescence flashed a soft white blue as they spoke.

Jasmine didn't turn to look, instead nodding her head over her shoulder. "Lead the way."

She waited for Beleno to move, stepping to the side to keep him in her sights before following after him. The hanar led her to a secluded area of the waiting room, right next a waterfall. The soft rustle of water flowing over stone created enough noise dampening to cover their conversation if they spoke in hushed tones. She noticed Beleno kept his back to the room, the exact opposite of what she'd expect from someone even tangentially associated with the assassin profession. It wasn't until he spoke again, did she realized he meant to hide his bioluminescence from the rest of the room.

"This one wonders what happened to our friend." Beleno's tone came out low, soft, and inquiring.

Jasmine shook her head. "I wasn't there when it happened."

"This one wonders if anyone else was hurt."

Jasmine watched the hanar for a moment, debating on how much she wanted to tell Beleno. "I didn't see anyone else. Just the duct rats who found him. Whoever stabbed him got away."

"This one is having trouble understanding how that could be."

"Look, Beleno, I've had shit for sleep and my patience is wearing thin. I can't do this little song and dance. I get it, hanar are all about being polite, but right now I just can't." Jasmine rubbed the back of her wrist over her forehead before staring at the dried blood on her hands. "So let me just cut to the chase here. You know who I am?"

Beleno's bioluminescence flashed softly but they said nothing aloud for a moment. "This one believes you are the one called Shepard."

_Nice. Vague, but does the job._

"Alright, yeah, I'm Shepard. Which means either Thane or the hanar told you I went to Felton's, and you know what I do."

"Yes, this one is aware of your affiliations."

The asari pushed a console on wheels over to Beleno, parking it in front of him before using her foot to push down the breaks on the wheels. She glanced Jasmine's way, dipping her head before leaving again. Beleno lifted a tentacle to the screen. Jasmine watched for a moment, distantly fascinated by the movements of the hanar, using Beleno's distraction to take the time to order her thoughts.

_He knows who I am; what I am. He clearly knows Thane, and I'm guessing he knows … when the hell did I decide Beleno's a 'he'? Whatever. I'm betting he's involved with the Compact … maybe Thane's old handler if he felt comfortable reaching out to Thane personally. Thane stayed in contact with him after Felton's, checking on the other hanar … I bet he knew Beleno would be here. Maybe he counted on it._

Jasmine bit her upper lip, chewing on the little nib of dead skin in the middle. "I don't think he was on a job, I saw him earlier tonight … I think he would've mentioned it if he were."

_Would he though? I gate crashed his last job. Hell, my ribs are still healing._

She sighed. "I don't know, maybe he wouldn't have. He was barely coherent when I found him. All I know is he lost a significant amount of blood from three stab wounds. I did what I could to stop the bleeding and brought him here at his request."

"This one thinks Thane was lucky you found him."

Jasmine narrowed her eyes. "Are you … are you suggesting I had something to do with him getting hurt? Because if you are, so help me God, I will shoot you right here, right now."

Beleno flashed soundlessly again, the spasmodic rhythm lifting Jasmine's hackles.

Her head jutted forward on her neck. "Are you … are you _laughing_ at me? Oh that's fucking rich."

"This one does not mean to cause offense. This one wishes to assure you this one does not believe you are responsible. This one thanks you for your aid … both times."

Jasmine groaned. "Sorry … I'm tired and cranky. I shouldn't be taking it out on you."

"This one will make sure Thane is taken care of, if you wish to return to your bed."

Jasmine shook her head, glancing at her hands. "I'm not going anywhere besides outside to scrub his blood out of the cab and then to the bathroom to wash my hands. Excuse me."

* * *

Jasmine sat in one of the few waiting room chairs, exhausted to the point that not even pacing kept her eyes open. Thinking it better to fall asleep in a chair than on her feet, she decided to sit. Beleno didn't go far from her, and she found it more than a little unnerving. He'd proven useful, though, calling in God-only-knows-who to take care of the cab for her, promising her it would be cleaned completely and returned to a Citadel Rapid Transit stand on the other side of the Citadel, it's navigation and GPS systems wiped clean.

She'd lost track of time, the surrounding sounds of soft music and whispering waterfalls lulling her into a semi-conscious state. She wondered if it's exactly what they were meant to do; to keep those stuck out in the waiting rooms calm while someone they loved got poked and prodded somewhere in the back. Keeping her eyes on Beleno as he did the hanar version of pacing, Jasmine sat up in her seat, perking up to listen when another hanar approached him.

"This one recognizes the human, she helped this one and the others. This one wishes to thank her," the new hanar said, flashing softly.

"Fantastic," Jasmine said under her breath, falling back against her chair, feeling too tired to deal with any of it. Granted, she'd been concerned about the hanar slaves, and she was happy to know she'd been able to help save some of them, but they could've picked a better time.

_Why aren't they back on Kahje? I thought Thane said Beleno transported the survivors home._

"Saylan, this one is uncertain if the human will wish to be addressed at this time." Beleno turned a hair, seeming to glance at Jasmine.

"This one understands. Perhaps this one will have the opportunity another time." Saylan turned, slowly moving away.

"Wait." Jasmine stood, rubbing her eyes, and made her way to Saylan. "It's alright, I don't mind." She plastered a smile on her face for Saylan's benefit, more than a little certain it looked as creepy as it felt. "I'm glad to see you're doing well." And she was; she really, really felt happy for them. The images of those hanar, shackled down in Felton's basement, would haunt her for years to come.

How could they not? They'd stay with her just as the images of the fourteen women she'd been forced to leave behind; naked, filthy, and chained to beds stained with piss, shit, blood, and other substances she didn't want to think too closely on. Jasmine killed the two unknown men guarding them, otherwise her hands were tied. She'd been given leave to take out anyone working for Anastasia Bellefleur she needed to, but ordered to leave the sex slaves for local law enforcement to find—an anonymous call would be placed informing them of the location as soon as Jasmine reported she'd left the area. It killed Jasmine to do, but she followed orders, not letting the poor women so much as even get a glimpse of her face. But she saw their faces—all of their faces—through her scope, and she would remember every last one of them. Jasmine took great pleasure in taking Bellefleur's life that day.

_Focus, Jasmine._

The hanar bobbed in front of her silent, and Beleno watched her. At least she thought he watched her. How the hell could she really tell?

Jasmine grimaced. "I'm sorry, it's been a long night. What did you say?"

"This one does not wish to burden you." Saylan hesitated before continuing, "This one only wished to thank you. This one does not believe this one would have lived much longer had help not come soon."

"You're welcome, I'm just sorry we didn't get there sooner." Jasmine glanced at Beleno before looking back at Saylan. "I thought you all would've gone back to Kahje by now, were you hurt too badly to go home with the others?"

Beleno and Saylan shared a silent conversation, their bioluminescence flickering in and out of ranges she could see. Jasmine's brow furrowed, and she crossed her arms, intent on waiting them out.

"This one was captured on the Citadel. This one chose to stay here when the others left," Saylan said.

Jasmine narrowed her eyes before forcing herself to relax. Clearly, something more went on there she wasn't privy to, but she wouldn't push, it really wasn't any of her business.

She smiled again and nodded. "Right. Well, I'm really glad to see you back on your … uh, I'm glad to see you're up and around."

Jasmine heard the annoying clack of heels on tile and glanced over her shoulder. The asari nurse from earlier made her way over to them. Jasmine turned, Saylan already forgotten as her attention riveted on the nurse.

"Excuse me, Beleno?" The nurse stopped a few paces away, nodding her head in lieu of asking Beleno to join her away from Jasmine and Saylan.

Beleno moved to the asari, and the two spoke quietly together for a moment. Jasmine couldn't hear either of them, but with the way the asari kept glancing at Jasmine, she knew they had to be talking about Thane. Like hell would she be left out of the discussion.

"Excuse me," she mumbled over her shoulder to Saylan.

Jasmine strode over to the pair and smiled, all teeth, at the asari. "Do you have an update for _us_?"

The nurse glanced at Beleno before shifting her gaze back to Jasmine. "Yes, Mr. Naura is out of surgery and in the recovery room. The surgery went well, he should be fine."

Jasmine's heart skipped a beat, her shoulders sagging in relief. "Can we see him?"

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but the recovery area is for relatives only." The nurse turned to Beleno, dismissing Jasmine completely. "Beleno, if you'll follow me I'll take you to his room."

" _Excuse me_?" Jasmine snapped.

The asari sighed, just a slight rise and fall of her shoulders, and turned back to Jasmine, an obviously forced smile on her face. "Yes, Ms. Salazar? Is there something I can do for you?"

"What you can do for me is take me to see Mr. Nuara. Now. Please." Jasmine crossed her arms over her chest, if for no other reason than to keep herself from throttling the nurse.

The asari tilted her head to the side. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Ms. Salazar, but as I said, the recovery area is for relatives only."

Jasmine snorted, dropping her weight to one hip. "Are you telling me you can't tell the difference between a hanar and a drell? What the hell kind of nurse are you?"

"Excuse me?" The asari cocked a brow ridge, a sliver of biotic energy seeping out of her pores to coat her skin in blue flames.

Jasmine smirked. "You heard me. If you're going to take Beleno in to see him, then you can take me in there, too. So drop the bullshit, I am soooo not in the mood. I _am_ going in."

The asari's biotics flared to life, no longer a smolder, but a roaring blaze. "Ms. Salazar, I warned you."

Jasmine reached behind her, reading to pull her pistol out and tell Nurse Bitchface where she could stick her warning.

Beleno moved in front of Jasmine, acting as a living barrier between the two pissed off women. "This one believes an exception can be made. This one believes Mr. Nuara would be pleased if Ms. Salazar were allowed to see him. Please, this one does not believe there is a need for hasty, regrettable actions."

Jasmine glanced around, every hanar and asari in the place stared at the spectacle. She slowly let her hand drop from her back, suddenly very grateful for Beleno's interception. She'd never be able to explain herself to Leon if she let things get bloody here with so many witnesses.

_Jesus Christ, I'm losing it over him. Coming completely unraveled._

"Fine. But if this gets back to the director, I'm not going to be the one to answer for it," the nurse said from somewhere on the other side of Beleno. "Right this way."

Beleno moved out of Jasmine's way, and together they followed Nurse Bitchface through a set of doors and through winding halls. She stopped in front of a closed door, and held her hand out, motioning for them to go ahead of her. Jasmine opened the door and stepped inside, tears stinging her eyes the second she saw Thane.

He remained unconscious, tubes and wires attached to him in various places. It looked like they were giving him oxygen, and something in an IV; monitoring his blood pressure, heart rate, temperature … all of the usual stuff. Something twisted inside of her. Seeing him lying there, hooked up to all of those machines, unconscious and helpless … just felt so wrong.

She moved to stand at Thane's left side, opposite of all the equipment monitoring him. Jasmine never liked seeing people in hospitals, they reeked of antiseptic and someone always cried. This time, it just happened to be her. At least she wasn't bawling her eyes out. Jasmine wiped the sleeve of her hoodie under her eyes and took a shuddering breath, letting her gaze roam over Thane.

Beleno moved to Jasmine's side, standing next to her in silence while the nurse checked the machinery and left without saying another word. When the door slid closed behind the nurse, Jasmine lifted the edge of Thane's blanket, pulling it back until she could see the white bandages contrasting against his green and black scales. After a moment, she tugged the covers back up, all the way to his shoulders, careful not to pull anything loose. She smoothed the edges of the blanket down before giving in to her urge to actually touch him, running her hand over the side of his face and head.

"This one was unaware of how close you are to him." Beleno's voice broke the silence.

Jasmine blushed, forgetting Beleno stayed in the room with her for a moment. She pulled her hand away, tucking them both under her arms. "He's … my friend." Then why did the word leave such a bitter taste in her mouth?


	15. David

**David**

The soft sound of someone breathing nearby pulled Thane from the last vestiges of his drug-induced sleep. The sharp, biting scent of antiseptic filled his nostrils. He opened his eyes, blinking once, twice, against the dim light filling his vision, willing his eyes to adjust as he took in his surroundings. Turning his head to the sound of another breathing, he saw Jasmine sitting slumped in a chair not far from him, eyes closed, chest rising and falling steadily with sleep.

The sight of her took him by surprise, and he sucked in a deep breath. Pain lanced through his side, pulling his attention away from Jasmine. Lifting the blanket and sheet covering him, he saw himself wrapped in bandages, and only then did he realize where he was. Closing his eyes, he let the memories from the night before bubble to the surface, keeping them just far enough at bay he wouldn't lose himself in them.

_I walk the catwalks, Kalahira guiding me. Thoughts wandering from Irikah to Jasmine and back again. So many years spent walking in the shadows. Taking contracts in places where a drell's face wouldn't go unnoticed. I find I miss walking in the light of day, another face lost in a sea of many._

_A muffled cry breaks my train of thought. I stop, looking around me. Where? Where did it come from? "David, no! Let me go … please let me go." The voice is feminine, sobbing, frightened. I track the sound. Two figures struggling in the alley just ahead. Hard to make out … asari … and human male. He strikes her. Glint of metal in his other hand. My body moves, a tool given leave to defend._

_Arashu, I do your bidding. Guide my hand, and lend me your grace._

_I reach the end of the catwalk. Grip the frame. Sharp metal biting into my fingertips. I lower myself. Dropping to the ground. Knees bend to absorb the impact. She sees me. Eyes widening, she gasps. He starts to turn to me. "Run." She hesitates only a second before fleeing. I lift my hand, ready to check the man's shoulder. Stop him from turning. I needn't kill him, his victim is gone. Disarm and disable._

_Light catches the knife in his hand again. I hesitate, Irikah's face flashing before my eyes. Not as I remember her, alive and real, but touched with death as in my dream, plunging Stiv Kay's dagger into me. He turns completely, striking out at my face with his fist. I dodge the blow, stepping to the side. He lashes out with his knife. I brush his hand away. Irikah's macabre face dances before me again. I stumble back._

" _That cunt owed me, asshole." Spittle flies from his mouth. "Now you're going to pay her debt." He lunges at me, his blade arcs through the air. I step to the side, gasping for breath. My heart pounds fiercely against my ribs. Blood coats her teeth, drips down her chin. I blink and she vanishes, replaced with the man once more. He swings again. I counter; knock the blade aside and palm strike to his nose. Blood pours from his face. Irikah's face before me, blood spilling from her mouth. I shake my head but Irikah remains, grisly and menacing. She claws at me, scales flaking from her fingers ._

_He slams a fist into me, low and heavy, the force of it stealing my breath. I look down, shocked to see steel protruding from my left side. Irikah's hand is wrapped around the hilt. This … this is not my Irikah. She wouldn't want this. It's not too late, I know. I can kill him now, before he even pulls his dagger free. I look up and see her face. I find I can't move. Can't speak. Kalahira, why have you brought me here? I watch in horror as she pulls out the blade only to punch it into my flesh again. Mistress of inscrutable depths, is this your will? The blade tugs at my flesh as it slides free. My legs weaken and I stumble. I … I don't wish to die. Not now. I've only just found … Kalahira, would you ask this of me?_

_Irikah stabs me again. Dead, white eyes shift into brown. Green and yellow scales become the pale skin of a human. I see him clearly now; he sneers at me. I take a step back. Lift my hand to my side. Blood flows freely from my wounds. Something in the human's eyes shifts. Expression changing from rage to shock. He looks down at his own hand. I back away, my legs heavy and difficult to move. I feel detached. Disconnected. More watching than reacting. The pain only a distant thing barely brushing against my conscious. His gaze finds mine. Fear. Remorse. He takes a step forward, his hand reaching out. I feel the wall behind me, and I let my weight fall against it._

" _Shit! Shit man are you—shit! Damn it. You shoulda minded your own damn business. Shit." He looks around, his gaze frantic. Glances back at me and shakes his head. He runs, rounding the corner and disappears from sight. I slide down the wall. There are people nearby, I can hear them. I should call for help, but I can smell the sea now. The sound of its waves whisper in my ears. Irikah's voice, vibrant and full of life, beckons to me from the distant shores._

_I don't know how much time passes. My breathing grows weaker. It no longer hurts. A child crawls out of a duct near by. Human, a boy. He turns, holding his hands up. Thin arms reach down to him. He pulls a girl out of the duct, helping her to her feet. They come a little closer, their feet shuffling to a stop when they see me. I recognize them, though their names elude me. How odd. Arashu, don't let them see this. My eyes slip closed._

_Someone shakes me. Pain igniting in my body once more. "Sere Krios!" I force my eyes open, finding them heavier than they've ever been. Another human child. Older. Darker hair. Mouse. His name is Mouse. I open my mouth, try to speak but my tongue won't form the words. I want to tell him … something. Ask him … "Jasmine …." My eyelids are too heavy, I can't keep them open._

_Agony. My insides are on fire. Kalahira have mercy. Pressure. What is … "Sere Krios, please hold on. Mouse is getting her, he's going to get her now."_

" _You're doing … keep putting …." The voice fills me with sadness. I can't …. Her voice doesn't belong here._

_My head is being moved. I try … I can't … I pull my eyes open. My wife smiles at me. Sunset colored eyes sparkle in the sun. "Irikah?"_

_She shakes my head. "Hey, come on. Open your eyes. I need you to look at me." It's the wrong voice. Her voice doesn't belong here. I struggle … I want to listen to the voice, but I can't. My eyelids are so heavy. I keep trying; for the voice, but I can't get them very far. "I can't. I … I'm sorry, Irikah."_

_I'm walking along the shores of Kahje. Irikah and Kolyat running ahead of me, Irikah's chasing our son. I smile, the sound of their laughter floating back to me on the breeze. Rain falls, gentle and warm, sliding down my face and rolling off my leathers._

_I'm being ripped open, set on fire. It's agonizing. I cry out. My eyes snap open with renewed strength. Consciousness tears through my mind. I snap my jaw closed, cutting off my scream. Jasmine. Jasmine is in front of me, and she's—_

The door opened, and Thane looked up.

An asari wearing a lab coat entered, glancing up from her omni-tool to smile at Thane. "Good evening, Mr. Nuara. I'm your nurse, my name's Tesmeni. How are you feeling?"

Jasmine jerked awake in her chair, and Thane let his gaze drift to her. Dark circles rimmed her eyes as she blinked rapidly, pulling her hand away from the small of her back, rubbing it along her thigh and knee instead. Her gaze found his, and he saw her shoulders slump as a smile lit up her face.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you, Ms. Salazar," the asari said, moving to the side of Thane's bed.

Thane didn't look away from Jasmine, he couldn't, even if he wanted to. She didn't look away from him either.

Jasmine covered her mouth, yawning and blinking again. "It's alright," she said, her gaze still holding on to his, "It's only the fifth time in the last two hours, you're slacking." She stood, stretching her arms over her head, revealing a swath of skin beneath the hem of her shirt.

Thane wanted desperately to run his fingers over her smooth skin, brush his lips across it, even as his heart ached at the memory of Irikah's words in his dreams. Catching sight of his hand reaching out to Jasmine, Thane cursed the drugs still in his system, muddling his thoughts and making him feel as if he lacked full control over himself. He pulled his hand back, letting it drop on the bed next to him. His breath caught in his throat when Jasmine crossed the meter or so separating them and took his hand in hers without hesitation. Squeezing gently, she brushed her thumb over the back of his knuckles.

"What's your level of pain, Mr. Nuara?" Tesmeni asked, folding back his sheet before peeling away the bandages.

Jasmine glanced at his wound, the corners of her mouth twitching, her brow creasing. Thane tightened his grip on her hand, just enough to get her to look back at him. She smiled at him reassuringly, but he could see the doubt in her eyes. Mimicking her earlier gesture, he ran his thumb over the back of her hand.

"Mr. Nuara?" Tesmeni pressed the bandages back into place with gentle hands.

"It's tolerable." Thane finally turned to look at the asari, wishing she would leave.

She smiled at him, resting her hand on his shoulder. Jasmine's fingers twitched in his. Thane turned his gaze back to her, but her expression told him nothing.

"Are you sure? You can have more pain medication whenever you're ready for it." The asari nurse patted his shoulder.

"I'm certain," Thane said, not taking his gaze away from Jasmine's.

"Alright. Well, when you're ready, just push the call button, and I'll be right in." Tesmeni moved away from the bed. "I'll give you and Ms. Salazar some time alone, but I believe Beleno would also like to see you. Should I notifying him you're awake?"

Jasmine snorted softly, a satisfied smile ghosting over her lips. Thane's mouth twitched in response, wondering what brought that reaction from her.

"Yes, thank you." Thane spared another glance at the asari, forcing a polite smile onto his face, silently willing her away.

She returned his smile, nodding her head before finally leaving him alone with Jasmine.

* * *

_Finally._

"You stayed." The lighting in the room did nothing to break through the dark outer covering of his eyes, instead making them appear as black as obsidian.

Jasmine smirked, shrugging her shoulders. "Well yeah. You were out cold by the time we got here, I couldn't leave you like that. Besides, what other chance will I get to see you utterly defenseless?"

Thane chuckled once before cutting his laughter off short, snapping his teeth together.

Jasmine furrowed her brow, squeezing his hand in sympathy. "So, _Mr. Nuara_ , how are you _really_ feeling?"

Blowing a small puff of air from his nose, his jaw relaxed. "I'll be fine in a few days, I'm sure."

"That's not what I asked." Jasmine pulled her hand from his, tugging the covers back up around him. Just like every other hospital or doctor's office she'd ever been in, the place had a chill to it and she felt certain lying there shirtless with half his body exposed couldn't be comfortable. She smoothed the edges of the blanket down, turning her gaze back to him.

"I—it hurts, but I've felt worse pain." Thane shifted the blankets, pulling his arm back out from beneath the covers.

Jasmine stepped away, pushing the chair she slept in over to the edge of his bed and sat down. "You were in surgery for four hours, out cold all day. You want to tell me what the hell happened last night?" She fought to keep her voice as neutral as possible, despite the roiling mix of anger, hurt, relief, and … something else—something she still didn't want to look too closely at—churning away inside of her, making her fingers tremble and her mouth dry.

"I," Thane started to say, pausing to grimace and drop his gaze from Jasmine's. "Not particularly."

Jasmine took a deep breath, letting it out slow, counting down from ten in her head. Leaning forward, she propped an elbow up on the bed next to Thane's shoulder and cupped her chin in her hand. "Okay. Will you at least tell me if we should be expecting someone to show up here to finish you off? There weren't any bodies in the alley, whoever did this to you … they're still out there."

"No, no one will be coming for me. There's nothing to worry about." He turned his head to meet her gaze again. "Forgive me for saying so, but you look exhausted, siha. Perhaps you should return home and get some rest."

Brow twitching, Jasmine smirked. "You trying to get rid of me, Mr. Nuara?"

"Not at all, Ms. Salazar." He returned her smile, lips parting enough to show his teeth.

"You sure? Because you basically just told me I look like crap, and called me something in a language I don't understand—and isn't translating … soooo, I'm thinking it's some drell insult." Jasmine poked his shoulder with her free hand.

Grin widening, Thane shook his head. "I assure you, it's no insult, and you look tired, not like 'crap'." He lifted his hand, waving a finger beneath her eye, a hair's width from touching her cheek. "You have the bruised look humans get when they haven't slept."

"Mmm, well, I didn't get much sleep. This chair sucks, and the nurse kept coming in to gawk at you. I almost shot her just so I could get some rest. I think she likes you." Jasmine snorted to cover the bitter taste of jealousy biting at the back of her tongue. "I bet if you ask her, she'll give you her number."

"I've no need for her number. Perhaps you should ask instead." Thane waved his hand, letting it drop back to the bed. "You seem to have a way with the asari at Chora's Den."

Tilting her head back, Jasmine laughed. "Oh, no. Nurse Tesmeni doesn't like me _at all_."

"And why is that?" Thane raised a brow ridge.

Jasmine lifted her shoulder, doing her best to affect an air of nonchalance. "She tried to tell me I couldn't come in here until you woke up because I'm not a relative. I told her I was coming in here whether she liked it or not. Things got … a little heated. She charged her biotics, I reached for my gun." She shrugged again. "Beleno talked us down and convinced her to let me in."

Thane blinked his inner lids twice, following it up with blinking his outer lids but said nothing.

Heat raced up her neck, fanning out over her cheeks. "What? For all I knew some big bad would drop out of the ceiling and kill you while you slept. I wasn't going to leave you when you weren't even able to call out for help." She smiled. "Besides, how will I ever get good enough to kick your ass and rub your nose in it if you're dead?"

Thane chuckled, his hand shifting to his abdomen with a groan. "Ah, I see. Your goal was never to merely prove your worth, forcing me to acknowledge your skill, but to best me."

"Mhmm. Damn right. I owe you a good ass kicking." Jasmine winked at him. "So yeah, you don't get to die on my watch."

The door slid open, and they both turned to look as Beleno entered. Beleno hesitated in the doorway until Thane waved him over.

Glancing at Jasmine, he smiled softly. "Would you mind giving us a few moments?"

"Sure." Jasmine smiled, pushing the chair back from the bed and standing. Unsure why, exactly, but unable to help herself, she reached out and squeezed his hand again before leaving the room.

* * *

Beleno turned, watching Jasmine as she walked away, waiting for the door to close behind her before he spoke. "I am pleased to see you are recovering."

Thane dipped his head, acknowledging the honor being gifted to him once more. "Thank you, Dances With Drell. It pleases me to have you here."

"Thane, there is something I must tell you. The doctors found something most upsetting during your examination." Beleno's bioluminescence flashed with the distress he wouldn't give voice to.

Thane folded his hands over his abdomen, just above the wounds, bracing himself for what he long suspected, but only now dreaded hearing. "It's curious the doctors would speak with you before speaking with me."

"Do not be angered, Thane. The doctors required someone able to make decisions on your behalf, you were in no condition to speak for yourself." Beleno moved a little closer to the bed. "I only wished to see you well."

Thane focused on his hands. "I see. I'm not angry, only concerned."

"The doctors said you are exhibiting the early signs of Kepral's Syndrome. It is still too early to diagnose." Beleno paused, hesitation and doubt coloring his soft pink flesh in shades of vibrant blues. "There are treatments. The doctors believe they can prevent the progression of the damage."

Thane closed his eyes, the ache in his chest roaring to life to mock him.

* * *

Jasmine waited next to one of the many, many waterfalls in the waiting room, leaning against the only dry wall she could find. There were a few chairs spread throughout the area, but she didn't feel like sitting. The muscles in her neck and shoulders ached from sleeping sitting up, and she rolled her head and arms trying to loosen them.

Asari and hanar rushed past her, running to Thane's room, and for one terrifying second, Jasmine's heart stopped in her chest. Her feet started her moving before her brain caught up with what was happening. Reaching the door, she stopped in her tracks, seeing Thane sitting up on the edge of his bed, pulling out his IV and ripping off the various instruments monitoring his vitals. Jasmine's breath rushed from her on a wave of relief, and she ran her hand over her head.

"Mr. Nuara! Please!" Tesmeni's hands fluttered uselessly, trying to stop Thane from standing. "It's too soon for you to be moving around."

"Thank you, for your help and hospitality, but I'll be fine." Thane pushed himself up from the bed, forcing Tesmeni back a step. "I must go."

"This one believes it is unwise for you to leave. This one believes you risk further injury without someone to assist you," a hanar said, hovering at the edge of the bed.

"I'll be fine, I assure you." Thane glanced at the hanar, his gaze catching on Jasmine's as he turned back to Tesmeni. "Excuse me, please."

"At least let me set things up to have a nurse stay with you for a few days. You'll need help cleaning and re-bandaging your wounds, moving around your home, preparing meals … Mr. Nuara, you really should stay here. Please." Tesmeni put a hand on Thane's shoulder, pleading with him.

Jasmine knew they were right, he wasn't in any condition to care for himself, but she also knew they weren't going to be able to convince him to stay anymore than they'd be able to convince him to let a nurse stay with him. But maybe …. "I'll stay with him." Everyone turned to look at her, but she only met Thane's gaze, silently willing him to not argue.

He dropped his eyes, looking at the floor in front of him. "That … that won't be necessary."

Jasmine moved away from the doorway and into the room, weaving her way past hanar and asari to stop in front of Thane. "Well, we can stand here and argue about it while they keep pushing you to stay—and I think you know how stubborn I can be—or you can agree, get dressed, and we can walk out of here in five minutes."

Thane lifted his gaze to meet hers, but he gave her no sign of what he might be thinking. "Very well."

"Good." Jasmine turned, looking at the doctors and nurses with raised eyebrows. "I assume this works for all of you?" When no one argued, she continued, "Good. We'll settle the bill on the way out."

Beleno moved to Jasmine's side. "This one has already taken care of the costs."

* * *

Jasmine couldn't deny she really liked the way Thane's arm felt draped over her shoulders, even if only so she could help support some of his weight as they walked from the skycar up to his apartment. She had a feeling he wasn't leaning on her nearly as much as he needed to, but she wouldn't push him. She kept her arm around his waist, her hand on the small of his back when he took his arm away to unlock his door, fighting back a smile when he put it right back without complaint. He'd given her guff when she insisted on helping him out of the clinic and into the car, and then again when they arrived but it seemed he'd given up the fight.

Jasmine helped him inside. "Bed? Couch?"

"Desk, please." Thane waved at the corner of the living room where his desk sat.

Jasmine turned her head to look at him, lifting her eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"I am." He nodded to her.

She helped him over to the desk, pulling the chair out for him. "Will you be okay for a little while by yourself. I'm going to run back to my place and grab a few things, I'll be quick."

"You … I didn't think you actually intended to stay." Thane looked up at her, his brow ridges raised to near comical heights. "Jasmine, you don't need to stay here. I'll be fine."

Jasmine sucked her teeth. "Is this a pride thing or a trust thing, because I got to tell you, you're not fine, and you do need someone here." Rubbing absently at her stiff neck, she shrugged her shoulder. "But if you really don't want me here, it's your call."

"No—I." Thane hesitated, letting his words die off.

Jasmine swallowed, shrugging again. "Hey, don't worry about it, no hard feelings. You can always call me if you need anything." She started to walk away, only making it a step before his fingers brushed hers, stopping her in her tracks. She turned back, glancing down at his hand before meeting his gaze.

Thane slid his hand into hers, his fingers curling around hers, tugging her back to him with the gentlest pressure. "Jasmine." His voice strained, but soft as he took her other hand, too. "I do want you here, but I don't want you to feel like you must stay. I don't wish to burden you."

Jasmine licked her lips, her heart fluttering against her ribs, and ran her thumbs over the back of his hands, marveling at the smoothness of the small scales covering his skin. "This coming from the man who dragged my drunk ass home and cleaned my place while I slept." She grinned, glancing down at their joined hands. "Thane, I wouldn't have offered if it wasn't something I wanted to do. So, I'll be back soon?"

He smiled. "Indeed." Turning her hands over in his, he squeezed them gently. "Thank you." He let go of her hands, dropping his own to his thighs.

"You're welcome." Jasmine perked up, happy to have things settled. "Now, do you need anything before I go? Need me to get anything while I'm out?"

"No, but here," Thane said opening his omni-tool, "let me give you the code for the door. Unless, you want to work on your hacking skills?" He cocked a brow ridge, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips.

"Pffft. Like you don't have your door trapped six different ways. Give me the code." She opened her omni-tool, ready to accept the transfer. Glancing at it briefly, she closed her omni-tool and grinned. "It's been awhile since a guy gave me the key to his place. I feel so special." She tilted her head to the side, sticking her lip out in a pout. "Of course, it'd mean a lot more if I knew you weren't going to move in a week."

* * *

Jasmine opened her omni-tool, pulling up the code Thane gave her and passed it over the lock. Opening the door, she made her way down the hall, her bag slung over her shoulder. She expected to see Thane still sitting at his desk, she'd only been gone about forty minutes—long enough to take a quick shower and pack a bag—but when she reached the end of the hall he was nowhere to be seen.

"Thane?" Dropping her bag, she glanced toward the closed bedroom and bathroom doors.

"I'm in the kitchen." He sounded choked.

Jasmine heard a rattle as she rounded the corner, making her way to him. "You alright?" Reaching the kitchen doorway, she paused.

A glass of water sat on the counter, Thane's fists pressed into the surface on either side. The little white bottle of pain medication the clinic sent home with him clenched in his right hand. His eyes were closed as he took slow, deep breaths in and out. He'd changed clothes while she went to her apartment, trading out the his leather getup for the straw colored, loose fitting pants and tunic she'd seen him in before.

Jasmine moved to his side, easing the bottle from his grip. Tesmeni had prepared a bag for him to take home, complete with pain medication, antibiotics to prevent infection, Medi-gel, and fresh bandages. Jasmine glanced at the label, deliberately ignoring the name of the medication—knowing it had to be narcotic, making her better off not knowing exactly what type—and checked the dose before opening it for him. "And here I was looking forward to helping you change," she joked, more of an attempt to distract herself than him.

She pulled the insert out of the bottle, setting it on the counter and shook two of the pills out in her hand, holding them out to him. Turned out she didn't need to bother avoiding the name on the label, as soon as she saw the pills she knew exactly what they were: Hexaline. The asari-produced narcotic similar to the opioids produced back on Earth. She'd seen enough Hexaline passed around—taken enough—during her time on the streets to know the drug well.

He offered her a pained smile, picking up one of the pills and snapping it in half before dropping one of the halves back into her hand. "You shouldn't tease me, I'm injured." He put the half he kept in his mouth, and swallowed it down with the glass of water.

Jasmine raised her eyebrow. No way would a quarter of the dose ease his pain. "Who says I'm teasing?" She held her hand out toward him. "That's not going to help, you know it. You're twice my size, and even without a drug history, that little bit wouldn't touch stab wounds on me. At least take a whole one."

Thane snorted softly and gave a small shake of his head. "It'll help enough."

Sighing, she dumped the pills back in the bottle and put the lid back on. She glanced at the bottle, chewing on her upper lip before holding it out to him. "Probably should keep these put away. Better I don't see them sitting around."

Thane accepted the bottle from her without a trace of judgement or censure, and finished his glass of water. Jasmine took the glass from him and sat it in the sink.

"I'll wash it after I get you settled … somewhere not your desk. Are you ready to lie down for a while?" Jasmine wrapped her arm around his waist.

Thane draped his arm over her shoulder, letting her guide him through the apartment. "Yes, I believe that would be wise."

She helped him to his bedroom, pulling back the covers on his bed before he sat down on the edge. "I'm stealing these sheets when you move." She ran her hand over the satiny fabric while he adjusted his pillows and laid down.

"They do sell them in stores." He grinned at her. "If the Alliance pays you so little you must resort to stealing bedsheets, perhaps you should consider freelancing."

Jasmine laughed, pulling the covers up over him. "They pay me well enough. More than I have any need for, really. But where's the fun in that?" Her smile died away and she waved her hand at the edge of the bed. "Alright if I sit here for a minute?"

"Of course." Thane started to push himself over, giving her more room, but stopped when she brushed the gesture aside.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed facing him, she ignored the feel of his thigh pressed against hers, separated only by clothing and blankets. Her head cocked to the side, she took a moment to gather her thoughts. "You said some things last night." She held up her hand to cut him off before he could deflect. "We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but I need to know … you know, you're not going to do anything stupid." Jasmine closed her eyes, sucking in a deep breath as memories of her mother's lifeless body, soaked in a pool of her own blood, threatened to consume her. Her voice shook as she spoke, "I need to know you're not going to hurt yourself." She opened her eyes, but couldn't quite meet his gaze as she blinked back the tears stinging the edges of her eyes.

_Because I can't lose you. Not you. Not like that._

For a moment, his steady breathing was the only answer he gave, until at last she met his gaze. "You have my word, siha."

The tears forced themselves from her eyes. Jasmine clenched her jaw and glanced at the ceiling, frustrated with herself for crying. Thane said nothing more, sitting in silence while she collected herself. Wiping the back of her hand under her eyes, she took a shuddering breath.

"Thank you." She sniffed, forcing a smile on her face. "So, are you going to tell me what siha means or am I going to have to look it up?"

"It's …." Thane took in a slow breath, brushing his thumb back and forth across his lower lip.

Jasmine opened her omni-tool.

"Wait, please." Thane cleared his throat, pressing his palms into the mattress to adjust himself. "Siha is … one of the warrior-angels of the goddess Arashu."

_Warrior-angel?_

Jasmine shook her head, her eyebrows slowly climbing upwards on her face. "Why …?"

"Ah. Perhaps we can save why for another time?" Thane's brow ridges pulled up and in.

Oh, but now she really wanted to know. A knot formed in her throat, swallowing against it, she nodded her head. "Yeah. Sure." Jasmine stood, stepping away from the bed and rubbing her palms on her thighs. "Did you, uh, did you eat anything?"

Thane stilled, his brow smoothing out. "I've made you uncomfortable. My apologies, it wasn't my intention. I'll refrain from using the term, if you wish."

"No, I just," Jasmine said, scratching her temple, "wasn't expecting warrior-angel. Stubborn mule, maybe. Loud mouth. Bossy woman. Crazy bitch." She forced a smile on her face and shrugged. "Warrior-angel sounds a little to grand to be associated with me."

His shoulder's seemed to relax, the corners of his mouth turning up in a soft smile. "I think siha is more fitting. Fierce in wrath, and a tenacious protector."

"Pffft. Now you're just sweet-talking me." Jasmine leaned against the door frame, lightly crossing her arms in front of her. She let her gaze roam over his face for a moment, taking in the curve of his cheeks, the cupid's bow of his lips, and the emerald of his eyes. Her heart ached for the chance to run her fingers over his face again, just to remind herself he was alive. She licked her lips, glancing away. "You hungry?"

"No, but I should eat something, and so should you." Thane started to pull back the covers. "I'll help."

"Nuh uh, don't you dare. Stay in the bed, I'll fix us something light. You'll survive eating in bed." Jasmine grinned. "I promise."

* * *

The moment she disappeared from his sight, all he could think about was how badly he wanted her back. He wanted her next to him, where he could see her and hear her. Where he could smell the sweet, citrus scent pervading the air around her. He wanted her near enough to reach out and touch, even if just to hold her hand again.

Thane looked at his hands, remembering how easily she'd slipped her hand into his when he reached for her in the hospital, and then again before she left, she'd allowed him to take her hands in his without reservation. Closing his eyes, he listened to her moving around in the kitchen, letting himself remember what it felt like to hold her pressed against him. Her pupils had dilated almost instantly, her breathing coming in quick, shallow gasps. The pulse in her wrist fluttered against his fingertips as she met his gaze, her head tilting back. He wanted to kiss her … allowed himself to believe she would welcome his lips on hers … but then, he saw Irikah's face and guilt washed over him.

Had he been right? If he didn't see Irikah's face just then, if he'd taken the leap and claimed her mouth with his own, would she have pushed him away? Did it matter now? After everything that happened the night before, having her still be there when he woke up was more than he could've asked for. More than he dared to hope for. He couldn't doubt she cared for him, perhaps even deeply, but she couldn't love him.

Not superstitious enough to believe his dream meant anything more than his own subconscious tormenting him for his guilt and grief, he still couldn't help but think the blood-coated words spilling from Irikah's mouth held truth. Jasmine couldn't love him, because she didn't know the truth about him, what he had done and if she did, she would run from him and never look back.

"You still awake?" Jasmine's voice came from much closer than he expected.

Thane opened his eyes, smiling as he turned his head to look up at her standing in the doorway, holding a tray with plates and glasses of water. "I am."

"Want some company while you eat? Thought maybe we could find something to watch." Jasmine nodded her head at the vidscreen mounted on the wall of his bedroom.

"I'd like that." And he would, more than he could express to her.

Jasmine grinned, settling the tray down on his lap before walking around to the other side of the bed, stopping to remove the holster at the small of her back, settling her pistol on the nightstand and picking up the remote before very carefully crawling across the bed to sit next to him, folding her legs beneath her.

* * *

His eyelids felt heavy, but he couldn't close them yet. The vidscreen still played an old Earth vid she called _The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey_ , apparently it belonged to her favorite series; a prequel to _The Lord of the Rings_ movies. Jasmine spent five minutes trying to explain to him that even though the movie was technically one of three prequels to the others, they were filmed years after the release of _The Lord of the Rings_ movies, but they were also all books before they were movies. However, the books were written in the proper order, but even though there were three _The Hobbit_ movies, there'd been only one _The Hobbit_ book. She huffed, her hair fluttering around with her breath and declared him hopeless before starting the vid.

When they'd finished eating, she paused it long enough to go wash their dishes. Returning, she insisted she let him change his bandages, gently cleaning and applying Medi-gel to the area before covering his wounds once more and tugging his shirt back down. Her neck and face flushed while she tended to him, and when she finished she wouldn't meet his gaze. Instead, she put the supplies back in the bag and left the room to dispose of the used bandages. When she returned, she asked if he was sure he felt up to watching the rest. He assured her he felt fine, but apparently she needed rest more than she thought.

Jasmine slept, pillows stuffed under her head and back keeping her partially inclined. He'd watched her from the corner of his eye as the vid played, noting how the longer she stayed next to him, the more comfortable she seemed to be there, eventually stretching out on top of his blankets, adjusting pillows to suit her comfort. Thane tried not to let himself think too much of it, but then he realized she'd stopped responding to the vid, and her breathing evened out. Sleeping in a chair near his bed in the clinic seemed like a very different matter then falling asleep in his bed next to him.

His eyes dropped closed, and he pulled them open again. Picking up the remote, he slowly turned down the vid, watching to see if the environmental change would wake her. When she didn't stir, he surmised she must be too exhausted for it to matter. He turned off the vid, and used his omni-tool to dim the lights. He didn't want to risk alarming her if she woke up in the middle of the night in a strange room, in a strange bed, in complete darkness.

Just about to push the covers off of him, intent on making his way to the couch to sleep, Thane paused when Jasmine mumbled something. He glanced her way, hoping he hadn't woken her. She grumbled again, her eyes fluttering open and closed twice before staying closed. He waited a few seconds longer before peeling the covers back, moving as slowly as possible both for her sake and his own, his abdomen protesting the movement.

Jasmine whimpered, rolling over, and Thane froze. Her eyes were still closed, perhaps she always slept fitfully. He'd watched her sleep once before, and he knew she took sleeping pills at least on occasion. Just about to try again—he could always apologize for waking her and insist she go back to sleep—she caught him by complete surprise when she scooted closer to him, wriggling until her body pressed flush against his side, her arms tucked in against her chest.

His breath caught in his throat, chest tightening. He knew he should move, should get up and go to the living room … but the heat of her body seeped through the thin cloth of his shirt and he wanted nothing more than to soak in the feel of her for as long as possible. Jasmine sighed contentedly, and Thane couldn't bring himself to leave, quite sure he wouldn't sleep now even if he did. Easing back against the pillows, heart pounding in his chest, he prayed she wouldn't wake up and pull away from him.

Jasmine snuggled in even closer, throwing her arm across him, slapping her hand down right across his injured side. Thane hissed reflexively, clenching his jaw to cut it off. Cautiously, he slid his fingers under her hand, lifting it gently to move it away from his wounds—and Jasmine's body went rigid at his side, her breathing halting completely.

Time seemed to stand still, his hand holding hers suspended over his body, neither of them moving; neither breathing or speaking. He'd awoken her, he was certain of it. His mind raced, trying to figure out how to explain himself, to apologize, but she broke the silence before he found the words.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I didn't mean … did I hurt you?"

"No," Thane said, his voice hoarse. "I …." He let his fingers slip away from her hand.

Jasmine pulled her hand back, pressing it into the bed, using it to push herself up slowly. "Sorry. I knew I was too tired, I should've just gone to the couch." Her gaze flickered to his. "I'll uh, I'm …." She trailed off, rolling away from him.

"Don't leave." Thane snapped his mouth shut, appalled with himself, not knowing where the words even came from.

She hesitated, turning her head to glance at him over her shoulder. Her mouth opened as if to speak, but no words came out.

Thane cleared his throat. "You should stay in the bed, get some sleep. I'll go to the couch."

Jasmine snorted, moving to the other side of the bed and sitting up, hanging her legs over the edge. Turning at the waist, she shook her head. "I'm supposed to be here to help you, not kick you out of your bed. I'll be fine on the couch, trust me, I've slept in far worse places." She stood, stretching her arms over her head, her joints popping audibly. She picked up her holstered pistol, holding it against her stomach. "Do you need anything? How's your pain? I can bring you some water if you want to take your medication."

Thane looked away from her, afraid he wouldn't be able to hide his disappointment, his regret … his longing if he met her gaze. "Yes, please." Thane opened the drawer on his nightstand, picking up the bottle of pain pills, he focused on the task of opening it and fishing out the broken half.

"Sure, I'll be right back." Jasmine walked past him, out of the room.


	16. Acrafine Dhaspark

**Acrafine Dhaspark**

Jasmine woke up and glanced around the living room, listening for movement. Stretching out, she groaned softly and threw her arm over her eyes. Remembering waking up, snuggled next to Thane, she groaned again and scrubbed her hand over her face.

_But God, why did it have to feel so good?_

She sat up and dropped her legs over the edge of the couch. Resting her elbows on her knees she cupped her face in her hands. This … thing, whatever it was she felt for him, went far beyond physical attraction, and it scared the shit out of her. Sex she could handle, relationships not so much. It nearly killed her, acknowledging she'd grown to trust him and considered him a friend. It made her vulnerable, and she didn't like being vulnerable. She coped with it, though, letting him coax out bits and pieces of information she'd normally carry so close to her heart, no one would even suspect they were there. They had a give and take, though. He gave back to her, let her pull those same little bits from him, even though it clearly wasn't any easier for him. This … achy longing, she didn't think she could cope with. So, she'd ignore it instead.

Jasmine stood up, crossing the living room to peek into Thane's bedroom. He lay on his back, his hands resting on his chest, eyes moving slowly behind closed lids. For one insane second, she considered climbing into the bed next to him, curling up against his side and going back to sleep. She watched the slow, steady rise and fall of his chest; he looked so peaceful, so she let him be.

* * *

He'd been awake for an hour, listening to her restless tossing and turning in the next room. He wasn't ready to look at her yet, afraid of what he might see in her eyes, so when he heard her leave the couch, he closed his and pretended to sleep. Listening to the soft shuffle of movements and her light sigh, he judged her position to be standing in the doorway to his bedroom. He waited, wondering if she'd speak, feeling the weight of her gaze on him. She said nothing, though, leaving him again. A moment later he heard the shower start.

Easing himself from the bed, pleased to find his pain significantly less severe than the night before, he lifted his shirt. He peeled back the bandages, finding light traces of blood; probably from Jasmine's hand dropping onto his wound the night before, he thought. Her voice floated to his ears, muffled by the walls and the sound of water falling, he couldn't make out the words, only the soft pleasant tones of singing. He smiled, imagining what it would be like to hear her sing every morning. Replacing the bandages, he pulled his shirt back down and shuffled his way into the kitchen to make _cinuela_ and prepare breakfast.

* * *

Jasmine left the bathroom, the sweet, spiced scent of _cinuela_ filling the air as she tucked her bag back in the hall closet. She made her way to the kitchen to find Thane standing at the counter slicing fruit.

He glanced over his shoulder at her and smiled. "Good morning."

"Morning." Jasmine leaned against the counter, stealing a piece of _mahata_ from the cutting board and popping it in her mouth. Already deciding she wouldn't bring up the awkward incident the night before if he didn't, she eyed him as she chewed. It should please her to see him stand a little straighter, supporting his weight better than the day before, but it didn't. "Looks like you're moving around easier. That's good. Feeling a little better?"

"I am, yes." Thane speared a chunk of _mahata_ with the tip of the knife, using his teeth to pull it off before setting the knife in the sink, smiling at her.

"Good, that's good." Jasmine forced a smile on her face, ignoring the heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Of course she wanted him better, but being better meant she didn't have a reason to stay. "At this rate, by tomorrow you won't need me at all."

His smile faltered for a fraction of a second before spreading wider. "Perhaps." He opened a cabinet, reaching up to pull down bowls, his lips pressing tight, jaw clenching with the movement.

Jasmine reached out, putting her hand on his arm to stop him. "Perhaps not. Let me get them." Some part of her wondered—hoped even—if maybe he put on a show for her; exaggerating his pain, or at least letting her see more than he'd normally allow, because he really wanted her to stay.

Thane dipped his head, letting his hand fall to the counter as he stepped aside. Jasmine pulled down two bowls and the tea set. He moved to the pot of tea on the stove, lifting the lid before turning off the burner.

* * *

Jasmine urged him to contact the drala'fa, reminding Thane the children nearly watched him die and were worried. He felt bad for not considering they might need his reassurance, even after Jasmine messaged Mouse to let him know Thane survived. So, Thane spent much of the morning calling each of the drala'fa that were present on the night he nearly went to the sea. He didn't speak with any of them for very long, but he realized Jasmine had been right, they seemed relieved to hear from him personally.

By chance, he'd called Mila last. The young asari's eyes began to fill with tears almost immediately, the sound of her sobbing brought Jasmine to Thane's side. She'd sat sideways next to him, her legs folded up onto the couch, holding his hand while Mila recounted the horrors of finding him that night. When Mila asked him why he kept calling Jasmine Irikah, Jasmine dropped her gaze, neither looking at the young asari or Thane.

He hesitated, his chest tightening at the sound of his wife's name spoken aloud by another. He cleared his throat and opened his mouth, the words caught in his throat, giving off a strangled croak. He didn't realize his grip on Jasmine's hand tightened until she rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand, her body shifting just a hair closer to him. He turned his gaze to her and she offered him a sad smile.

She turned her attention to the screen. "Mila … sometimes when people are hurt really bad … they get confused about what's going on around them, that's all." She smiled. "He remembers who I am now, it's alright." Jasmine glanced at Thane. "But, now I've got to convince him it's time to take his medication and get some rest. So we've got to go now, okay?"

Mila nodded, wiping the drying tears off of her cheeks. "Thank you for calling me. I'm really glad you're going to be okay. Bye." She waved at the screen before ending the call.

Jasmine squeezed his hand before letting go, tucking her hands between her thighs. Thane closed the omni-tool, and they sat there in silence for a moment.

She turned to look at him, her voice soft and filled with the same compassion he'd heard her use with the drala'fa. "Are you alright?"

He swallowed. "Irikah was my wife." Something in him shifted, a load he didn't quite realize he'd been carrying became a little lighter. He searched her face, praying to Arashu she wouldn't close herself off from him.

She nodded slowly, the corners of her mouth tugging down, her brows dipping together. "I figured as much." Jasmine cleared her throat. "You probably don't want to talk about it, but if you do …," she said, shrugging lightly, "you know, I'm here."

"Thank you, siha." Suddenly uneasy and needing to move, to find something to distract himself from the jittery feel of his pulse in his temple, Thane pushed himself to the edge of the couch, ignoring the shot of pain lancing through his abdomen. "I need …." He pulled himself up to his feet, his hand cradling his side as he turned toward the kitchen.

_Is this … yes, it's time. She should know. I owe that much to her._

Jasmine stood, her hand bracing against the small of his back. "What do you need?"

"I need to tell you what happened." Thane stepped away from her, his heart pounding in his chest. Even with the decision made, the idea of baring his soul in such a way brought a level of nervousness to him he hadn't felt in many years. He made his way to the kitchen to put on a fresh pot of tea. "I should've told you long ago. I wanted you to understand what this profession can cost you," he said, feeling as if he were rambling but unable to stop, "but I couldn't bring myself to talk about it. At first because I didn't know you; didn't trust you … and then because I did."

Thane filled the pot with water, putting it on the stove to boil. Jasmine followed him into the kitchen, her arms wrapped around herself. She didn't speak, and he felt grateful for her silence. Telling her about Irikah, about what his mistakes cost him, would be hard enough without sparking her need to defend her choice of profession.

"I took a contract against the leaders of a batarian slaver ring." Thane gripped the edge of the counter, focusing on the pristine metal surface. "They had … a loyal group, Acrafine Dhaspark in particular, I later learned. One of those working for Dhaspark rallied the others, and together they paid the Shadow Broker to learn my name."

Thane pulled down the canister above the stove, opening and measuring out the contents with trembling fingers before adding the dried mixture to the boiling water. He glanced at Jasmine and closed the canister, putting it back where it belonged. She watched him in silence, rubbing her hands up and down along her arms twice before tucking them underneath. Turning his attention back to the _cinuela_ , he turned the burner down low.

"They were afraid to come for me themselves … and when they found no one else willing, they hired men to kill my family instead." Thane swallowed, his hands curling into fists, he pressed them into the countertop, pushing his weight forward onto his arms. The memories of the blood drenched apartment, of Irikah being slid into the sea, threatened to consume him but he choked them back. Tears welled up, hot and biting before spilling over his lids to drop on the counter. He didn't care; crying the least of his concerns at the moment, he let them fall.

"Family?" Jasmine whispered.

Thane jerked his head to look at her, his jaw slack as he blinked away the wetness in his eyes. He'd nearly forgotten he stood in her presence, she'd been so still as she listened to him rip open old wounds. "Irikah died protecting our son, she hid him away … spared by Arashu's grace and Kalahira's mercy."

Jasmine took a hesitant step toward him, her arms falling to her sides. "Jesus," she said, her voice cracking as her own tears formed in her eyes.

He turned to face her completely, prepared to see disgust or even anger in her eyes, he found himself overwhelmed to see she openly shared in his misery instead. She took two more steps, stopping in front of him, looking up into his eyes.

"I'm so sorry." She reached out for him, her movements slow, cautious even as she wrapped her arms around him.

He didn't hesitate, needing the contact she offered far more than he ever expected. Sliding his arms around her, he pulled her into the embrace, feeling his carefully constructed walls shatter as the very last vestiges of his battle sleep slipped away into nothingness. He hid his face in the curve of her neck, letting his tears flow freely. She turned her head, resting it on his shoulder, her hair brushing against his cheek. He breathed deeply, taking what comfort he could from her while still fighting back the nightmares of his past. Soon, the feel of her in his arms and the sweetness of her scent began to wash away the confusion and sorrow, slowing his tears and bringing a peaceful resolve to his mind.

* * *

Jasmine squeezed her eyes closed, tears sliding down her cheeks before soaking into Thane's shirt. He clung to her with a sort of desperation she never expected from him, and it took all she had to not squeeze so hard she'd steal the breath from him, so badly did she want to soothe his suffering. Palms splayed out over his back holding him to her, she sniffed, trying to stop her own crying and be supportive.

He'd hinted at losing people close to him before, implied it happened because of his work as an assassin—it wasn't that she didn't believe him, she lived in fear of someone learning about the Williams family—but hearing the pain in his voice, watching him struggle to put words to his living nightmare, and seeing the tears in his eyes put Jasmine's heart in a vice. Certain if he'd said he lost his son, too, that vice would've crushed her completely.

_Jesus Christ, he has a son._

She pulled back, her eyes growing wide with alarm. "Where is your son?" Jasmine shook her head. "No, no. Nevermind. Don't answer that. I shouldn't know, but he's somewhere safe, right?"

Thane's gaze roamed over her face before holding steady on her eyes. He swallowed and nodded. "He's … as safe as he can be with me as his father."

Jasmine closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, her shoulders slumping in relief. Thane removed one of his hands from her shoulder, and she opened her eyes thinking he'd grown uncomfortable with the lengthy embrace. Just about to let him go and step back, she stopped when he brought the hand up, hesitating next to her face. His gaze flicked to hers briefly before he cupped her cheek, using the lightest of touch to brush away her tears. Jasmine swallowed, the heat of his fingers leaving a searing trail across her skin.

"Before I lose my nerve, there's something more I want to tell you." He quirked his lips in a mirthless half smile. "I'm afraid you won't like me much when you hear what I have to say, however." He let his hand drop from her face, the other sliding away from the small of her back.

Jasmine's brow furrowed, letting go of him she took a step back. "Okay?"

Thane looked away from her, turning off the burner under the _cinuela_. "Perhaps we can sit; have tea?" He brushed at his own tears still falling in lazy, fat drops down his face.

Jasmine narrowed her eyes, the muscles along her shoulder blades tensing, preparing herself for the worst. "Sure."

She watched as he poured the _cinuela_ into the teapot, wondering what he could possibly say to make her not like him. Nervousness settled in, making its home in the pit of her stomach. She picked up the tray, carrying it to the dining table with measured steps. Jasmine poured them both tea, focusing on keeping her body language as neutral as possible, and took a seat. Thane sat down across from her and propped his elbows on the table, clasping his hands together in front of his face. She picked up her teacup, blowing over the milky surface before taking a sip and setting it back on the saucer.

"I … haven't seen or spoken to Kolyat since his mother's funeral. I thought it'd be better for him if I distanced myself, removed myself completely from his life." Thane picked up his tea cup, but didn't raise it to his lips, instead, gazing at the murky liquid, he seemed to lose focus. He cleared his throat and sat it back down. "I left him in the care of his aunts and uncles on Kahje and haven't gone back. I tried sending money for his care, but Rone—Irikah's oldest brother—refuses to accept."

_How could he?_

Jasmine sucked in a slow, deep breath, pursing her lips as she let it seep back out of her. The compassion she felt only moments ago began slipping away. She fought to school her expression, forcing her hands to stay still on the table's surface. "How," Jasmine said, rising anger closing a fist around her throat. She tilted her head to the side, looking down at the floor beside her. "How exactly is it _better_ for him?"

"I—he's safer, without me in his life." Thane separated his hands, turning his palms up.

Jasmine raised her eyebrows, crossing her arms over her chest. "How? How is he safer without you in his life, Thane?"

_Is he serious right now? He tells me his wife was murdered, so he abandons his son?_

"They came to my home … they went after my family because of me. My wife is—his mother is dead because of me, because I couldn't give up this life." He frowned, pulling his hands under the table.

"Does this somehow miraculously make you no longer his father?" It became more difficult to keep her voice at an even tone. She dug her nails into her palms, focusing on the little crescents of pain as a distraction.

Thane shook his head. "Of course not, but if I'm not in his life—"

Jasmine slammed her hands down on the table, _cinuela_ sloshing over the sides of the teacups. "What the fuck is wrong with you? The Shadow Broker led your enemies right to your front door, you really think he can't lead them to your brother-in-law's house?"

Thane shut down, the only sign of emotion the flutter of muscle in his clenched jaw. Jasmine pushed her chair away from the table, standing to pace the floor, pinching the bridge of her nose. He said nothing, only watched her.

_Calm down, Jasmine. Your crazy is showing. This isn't about you, don't make it about you._

Returning to the table, Jasmine leaned over the the surface toward Thane, supporting her weight on locked elbows and her palms. "I understand why you wouldn't want to raise him on your own. I don't like it, but I understand. What I can't understand is how you could just walk away completely, never see him, never visit, never call …," she said, her voice softer than before but laced with contempt she didn't bother to conceal, "and convince yourself that having his father disappear on him—right after his mother is brutally murdered—is what's best for him." She shook her head. "You're lying to yourself, Thane."

She held his gaze for a few moments; he didn't look away but neither did he acknowledge her words. She scoffed, pushing away from the table. Going to the closet, she grabbed her shoes and her jacket. She carried them to the couch, not bothering to look at him when she heard him push his chair away from the table. Hands trembling with rage, Jasmine sat to put on her socks and shoes.

"You're leaving?" He'd moved to the back of the couch, his voice thick with restrained emotion.

Jasmine glanced up at him as she stood, slipping on her jacket. "I need to take a walk."

"Siha … forgive me, I—" Thane reached out for her.

Jasmine jerked her arm away, not missing the wounded look flashing across his face. Holding her hand up to tell him to stop, she shook her head and backed away. "You almost died in that alley—you _wanted to die_ in that alley … and your son never would've known. It's not my forgiveness you need, Thane." She picked her holstered pistol up from the coffee table, securing it beneath her jacket and left without looking back.

* * *

Thane collapsed on the couch, not even trying to be careful of his injuries and pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes, trying to stop the hurricane of emotions ripping apart his insides. The righteous fury in her eyes, the bitterness of her voice cut through him worse than any blade, but her words … they rang with truth so loud it left him deafened, utterly stunned. Her anger had been just as he feared, but somehow so much worse.

His chest ached with the same deep throb of a pain that just a few months ago he accepted so blithely, thinking it might mean an end to his self-imposed suffering. Now, with Jasmine's vitriol still burning a hole through him, it only served to remind him he still had so much to lose. She was right, he'd been lying to himself, and for far too long. He must fix things—with Kolyat and Jasmine. If he wasn't too late.

Thane sat back, scrubbing his hands over his face, taking steadying breaths until he regained control of himself once more. Opening his omni-tool, he placed a call to Rone, praying he hadn't changed his contact information. The pattern of dots flashed across the screen, over and over again. Just about to give up and close the omni-tool, he froze when the call connected. Darkness filled the screen, the faint silhouette of his brother-in-law standing out in contrast.

"Rone?" Thane said, when no greeting came.

"Why have you called? It is the middle of the night." The voice colder, more detached than Thane remembered, but still unmistakably belonged to Rone.

"I—my apologies, I didn't mean to wake you. I didn't realize how late it'd be there." Thane paused, nervousness seeping into his veins, making his scales itch.

"What is it, Rone?" Kelena, Rone's wife, asked. Her voice, muffled and distorted with sleep.

"It is … nothing, dear. Go back to sleep," Rone said.

Thane heard movement, and then a moment later a light came on, filling his screen with Rone's face. Thane blinked once, then averted his gaze from the heavy weight of Rone's stare.

"What do you want, Thane?" Wariness wrote itself on Rone's face in tight lines and hard edges.

"I … wanted to talk to Kolyat. I should've checked the time first, my apologies." Thane dipped his head. "I'll call back tomorrow."

"It has been nearly four years, Thane, without a single word from you and now you call in the middle of the night suddenly wanting to talk to him?" Rone rubbed his eyelids with thumb and forefinger, a deflated sigh escaping his lips. "He is only just starting to adjust. The nightmares have finally stopped, he no longer cries himself to sleep. Why do this now?"

Thane cringed, old wounds left to fester ripping open further, leaving him breathless. "I thought it'd be best for him … I was wrong, I realize that now."

"So, what? You plan to come back to Kahje? Take him away from a stable home where he is cared for and loved?" The words were raw, honest questions filled with concern, lacking even a hint of malice.

Thane hung his head; anger he'd understand and brush aside, but this brought him nothing but further shame. "No. I can't give him the same stability he has with you. I can't … but I want him to know me, to know his father loves him … even if I can't be a good father."

Silenced stretched between them, and the tears began to form in Thane's eyes once more. He blinked his eyes furiously, not wanting Rone to see him such a vulnerable state; not when he still felt so raw from Jasmine's wrath.

Rone pulled in a deep breath, the sound breaking the silence. "Let me talk with Kelena in the morning. Let us … let us find a way to ease Kolyat into the idea, see if this is even something he wants. Please?" Rone never left Kahje, still clinging to the ideas of polite speech taught by the hanar. Rone asking so many direct questions, making overt requests spoke volumes about his determination to protect Kolyat.

Thane met his gaze and nodded, swallowing against the knot in his throat. "Of course. Whatever you think is best."

Rone nodded, relief easing the tight lines around his eyes. "Thank you."

"No, thank you. I'll leave you to your rest. Goodnight, Rone." Thane bowed his head in deference to the man raising his child.

Rone dipped his head in return. "Goodnight, Thane."

* * *

She'd left only to find herself at the Alliance training facility. Firing off round after round into nameless, faceless targets at the other end of the range did little to quell her anger or her disappointment. Moving on to the gym to beat the shit out of the bags didn't seem to help much either, but it did leave her hands sore and her knuckles raw.

Back at her own apartment, she showered and paced her floor for awhile before finally leaving again. She'd sat at _Le Bleu_ for a couple of hours picking at a plate of ravioli and sipping a glass of wine. She thought about going to Chora's Den, getting sloshed and taking Faline home but in the end, she'd gone back home, brushed her teeth, and went to bed.

That's when her remorse hit, writhing in the pit of her stomach, making her hate herself. Climbing out of bed, she stared at the bottle of rum in her refrigerator for a few minutes before groaning at the ceiling and swinging the door closed. Getting dressed again, she left her apartment and called a cab from the Citadel Rapid Transit stand next to her apartment, taking it back to Thane's apartment.

Jasmine leaned her forehead against the cool metal surface of his door and took a deep breath. It was late, she figured he'd already be asleep and she didn't want to knock, waking him up and forcing him to move around when he should be taking it easy. She'd already left him alone for hours, God only knew how far he'd pressed his limits in her absence. A part of her felt afraid to use the key he'd given her, though—not because of the inherent danger of walking into an assassin's apartment in the middle of the night—but because he might not want her there anymore. The key might not even work; he might have changed the access code after her tantrum.

Biting her lip, she opened her omni-tool and pulled up the code, hesitating before passing it over the lock. When the controls changed from red to green, Jasmine nearly cried out in relief. She opened the door, walking into a darkened hall, only the dim light of a lamp at the far end of the living room lit her way.

_He left a light on for me. God, I'm such an ass._

She stopped just inside the door, giving the sensors room enough to register the door could be safely closed. Reactivating the lock, Jasmine listened for any sign he might still be awake, but she heard nothing. "Thane?" She kept her voice low, hoping not to disturb him if he'd already fallen asleep, but not wanting to startle him into action if he hadn't.

Taking a couple of steps down the hall, she paused when a light came on in his bedroom. She tapped her fingers against her thighs, steeling her nerves before making her way to his room. Jasmine crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe, the tension in her muscles easing the moment her gaze found his.

He sat on the edge of his bed, his face turned up to her, the light cutting through the darkness of his eyes to reveal a mix of relief and hope so potent it took Jasmine's breath away. The covers were turned back, telling her he'd been laying down, but she saw no sign of sleep in his eyes.

"I didn't know if you'd return." Caution sounded in his voice, his words calculated.

"You uh, didn't throw my bag out in the hall or change the access code … so, I took it as a sign it was safe to come inside." Jasmine smiled wryly.

Thane pushed his hands into the bed, starting to pull himself to his feet. "Of course, I—"

"Hey, hey don't." Jasmine moved to him, putting her hands on his shoulders, urging him to stay sitting. "Take it easy."

Thane settled back into the bed, looking up at her. "I'm glad you came back, I want to apologize."

Jasmine scoffed, letting her hands fall away from him. She sat down on the bed next to him, dropping her hands in her lap, she focused on the wall across from her. "I'm the one that needs to apologize. I overreacted, I was already in an emotional state of mind …," she said, lifting her shoulders up and holding them there for a couple of seconds before letting them drop, "and what you said hit a little too close to home. But it wasn't fair of me to talk to you like that, especially when I just encouraged you to open up to me … and I'm supposed to be here for you, but instead I acted like an asshole and walked out. So, yeah … I'm sorry." She turned to look at him when he didn't say anything.

His inner lids blinked. "You weren't wrong, everything you said was true." He averted his gaze. "I just didn't want to see it."

Jasmine snorted. "Of course I'm right. Never said I was wrong … it just wasn't my place to say it, and I didn't need to be so harsh."

Thane smiled. "I might not have listened otherwise. I'm grateful to you, Jasmine."

Jasmine shifted, angling her body toward him, her eyebrow raising in question. "Does this mean ...?"

"Indeed. I tried calling after you left." Thane waved his hand. "I failed to consider the time difference, however, and only succeeded in waking Rone and his wife in the middle of the night."

"Well, what'd you say?" Jasmine threaded her fingers together, bringing her hands up to her mouth to still her excitement. "I mean, if you want to tell me. You don't have to, of course."

Thane rubbed his palms down his legs, his hands coming to rest on his knees. "I told him I want my son to know his father." He rubbed his hand over his knee, picking at nonexistent lint. "He's concerned I'll disrupt the progress Kolyat has made."

Jasmine reached over, putting her hand on his to stop his fidgeting. He turned his hand over, offering her his palm and she closed her fingers around his hand, squeezing gently. She watched him as he stared at their joined hands. There were a million things she wanted to say; to encourage him not to give up and to fight for his son, but she thought maybe she'd offered enough unsolicited advice—if she could even call it that—for one night.

"May I ask you something … about your father?" He spoke softly, not lifting his gaze from their hands.

"Sure." Jasmine let her gaze drift down to their hands. It amazed her how right his smooth scales felt against her skin, how easily she found it to slip her hand in his. Normally, she didn't like talking about her past, but she realized she didn't mind so much with Thane.

"Was he a good father to you before he left?"

"He … wasn't a _bad_ father. After his affair, things were tense between him and Mom, they fought a lot. I can't remember a time where he ever raised his voice at me, but when they fought he'd yell back at her. I'd wake up to find him sleeping on the couch some mornings." Jasmine fell silent, remembering the slamming doors and her mother sobbing, trying to piece together her next words. She licked her lips, trying to work up saliva to soothe her throat, so dry it nearly burned. "He worked long hours, so when he did come home he'd be tired and not want to be bothered, but he always asked me what I did that day or if I learned anything new in school." Jasmine licked her lips again and swallowed. "But he wasn't anything like Geoffrey."

"I don't think I was a very good husband or father. I wanted to be, but I didn't know how. Irikah … when we met … she challenged me to question my position in the Compact, pushed me to chose a life of my own making. I tried. I left the Compact, tried to learn to live a normal life doing menial jobs—I have no marketable skills other than those of an assassin."

He fell silent for a moment, his eyes flicking back and forth as if he were watching a scene unfold before him. Jasmine suspected that's exactly what was happening, though what he saw she could only guess at. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, pulling his shoulders back and holding her hand a little tighter. The way his fingers clutched hers reminded Jasmine of how he'd clung to her earlier, making her feel as if he would fall apart if she walked away again. The thought of being wanted—maybe even needed—felt heady and terrifying all at once, leaving her a little breathless.

"We fell in love, married … and then Kolyat was born, but things became desperate over time. I felt lost in her world, I didn't belong there, not really, and she could only guide me so far. Teach me so much. I couldn't find and keep steady work, and Irikah left her career behind to be a mother to our son." He closed his eyes, his next words coming barely louder than a whisper, "I was a failure." Gently, he cleared his throat, opening his eyes again. "So, I did the only thing I could to provide for my family and returned to work as a freelancer. Irikah didn't like it, but she supported me in the decision." He paused, seeming to contemplate his next words.

"As the years passed, I spent less and less time at home, taking contracts further away than I intended when I started. I sent every spare credit I earned back to Irikah. The time I did spend at home …," he said, licking his lips, "we were strangers to one another. Strangers who loved one another, but strangers nonetheless." Thane looked up at Jasmine. "I'm afraid he'll hate me now, and won't want to speak to me."

Jasmine took a deep breath, pulling their hands over to her lap, holding his hand with both of hers. "There's a good chance he's going to be angry, hurt … confused. And he may not want to talk to you at first. But you're still his father, you've just got to be patient with him." Okay, so maybe she wasn't completely done with the advice for the night, but at least this time it felt a little more welcomed. "Let him know you're here when he's ready, and keep trying. I mean, don't push him, but don't give up, either. I would've given anything to at least been given the choice."

"He's barely still a child, I've lost so much time already." Thane's shoulders sagged. "I don't intend to give up, however. He may never forgive me, but as long as I draw breath, I will do all that I can to make it up to him."

She drew her eyebrows in, tilting her head to the side. "How old is he?"

"He's thirteen now; nine the last time I saw him." His brow ridges creased, consternation evident on his face. "I don't even know what he looks like now."

Jasmine's eyebrows shot up before she thought to school herself. "Thirteen, wow." She shook her head. "I guess it's easy to forget our age difference sometimes."

Thane chuckled, looking back at their hands. "Indeed. It makes me feel old to consider you were only thirteen yourself when Kolyat was born."

Jasmine laughed, she didn't have him pegged as the type to be bothered by evidence of his own mortality. "You're not old, just older than me."

"With a lifespan—under normal circumstances—just over half of your own." He smiled wistfully, the corners of his mouth barely pulling up before falling once more.

Jasmine's smile faltered. Knowing if they both managed to live full lives, he'd surely die long before her, was something she'd tried not to think about too closely. "Still not old, you're not even middle-aged yet, so don't go looking into retirement homes."

A soft, sad smile spread across his face. "If someone told me six months ago I'd be sitting here with you now, on my bed, holding your hand, and talking to you about my son … I would've thought they were truly deranged."

Jasmine tilted her head back with laughter. "Oh, you're telling me. I _hated_ you. Okay, well, hate is a strong word. Just really, really, really didn't like you. A lot."

"And now?" His gaze bore through her.

Jasmine blinked. Her breath caught in her throat and she licked her lips, finding her mouth gone dry under the intensity of his scrutiny. How did she feel now? Her pulse quickened, throbbing in her neck. Did he … was he asking her if she felt something more for him?

_Oh God, what am I thinking? He said he didn't think I'd like him anymore. That's what he's asking. God, I'm so thick._

Feeling silly she'd let her mind wander so far away from what was in front of her, she gave herself a mental eyeroll. "Thane …," she said, choosing her words carefully, "I got angry, but I still care about you. Sorry, you're not getting me out of your life that easy, you should know by now." She shrugged her shoulders. "So unless you really don't want me here, I still plan to stay, at least for tonight." Pausing, she let a mischievous grin spread across her face. "Don't go thinking I'm not still going to kick your ass on principle one of these days—but that's a professional matter."

Thane chuckled, and Jasmine realized he didn't even wince with pain. She wondered if it meant he took a decent dose of his pain medication or if he really felt so much better already. Either way, it made her happy to know he wasn't hurting, and she couldn't help the fluttering in her chest when he turned his smile on her.

"And this," he said, lifting his hand into the air between them, dragging hers along with it, "is … personal?"

Heat spread over Jasmine's chest and neck, letting her gaze linger on their hands. "Yeah," she said, her voice cracking, "definitely personal."

_Oh God, why did I say it like that?_

She swallowed and cleared her throat. "I should uh, let you get some sleep." She stood, pulling her hand from his, and swallowed again. "Do you need anything? Water, pills, clean bandages?"

Thane's gaze followed her, his lips parted … and damn it she really wanted to know what those lips would feel like against hers.

_Jesus, Jasmine. The man just told you about his dead wife like two seconds ago, what the hell is wrong with you? Why … why is he looking at me like that? His pupils are dilated, why are his pupils dilated. Pain medication? His frills are redder, is that blushing? Shit, does he have a fever? Christ, does he have an infection? Say something, damn it!_

Rising to his feet, Thane took a step toward her, closing the little distance between them. Close enough she could easily reach out and wrap her arms around him, the thought made the fine hairs along her arms stand on end. He moved a little closer, his eyes cast in shadow once more, becoming nothing but black pools, the beautiful green of his irises vanishing from her sight. Still, she felt his gaze on her, and she couldn't look away from him even if she wanted to.

Lifting a hand to her face, he brushed the back of his fingers over her cheek. Electricity rolled through her spine, branching out through her body, setting every nerve on edge.

_This … this is_ definitely _personal._

Her restraint cracked, her willpower shattering. Jasmine stepped into him, she slid her hands along the ridges of his frills, delighting in the soft gasp it elicited from him as she pulled him to her; he offered no resistance. Head already swimming, heart pounding in her chest with enough force she felt sure he'd hear it, she pressed her lips to his. His hand cradled the back of her head, pulling her closer still.

Thane's tongue ghosted over her lips, she opened her mouth to him eagerly, a hungry moan escaping her when his tongue delved into her mouth to entwine with her own. He wasn't close enough, oh God, why wasn't he closer? She needed to feel him pressed against her. Releasing his face, she extended her arms, wrapping them around his neck. Without her elbows lodged against his chest, Thane wrapped his hand around her waist, guiding her body to him.

Colorful lights danced on the backs of her closed eyelids. He tasted like Heaven and mint. He felt like … felt like love and shadows. It didn't make any sense, but she didn't care, because the taste of his moan rolled over her tongue in a dance of sweet blue and salty green ecstasy. Jasmine's eyes flew open, pulling back abruptly, she gasped.

"Oh no," she whispered, pushing against his chest.

"Jasmine?" His voice smelled like honey. He glowed like an angel, vibrant and green.

_So green._

"Oh God." She sounded like smoke.

"I—my apologies, I thought …. I misread the situation." His hands dropped away from her. "Jasmine, I never would've—"

"No, no, no, no." Squeezing past him, she bolted for the hall closet, slapping the door's release over and over until the door slid open. "No, no, no, no." She dropped to her knees, grabbing for her bag but it moved, scuttling back out of her reach. Trying for it again, she gripped the black canvas in her fist and yanked the bag from the closet.

"Siha?" His voice burbled as if he were underwater.

Jasmine's head snapped up, turning back to him. He stood in the doorway watching her, his hand clutching at his stomach, crimson soaking through his shirt and slipping through his fingers. No. Oh God, no. Jasmine squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. Opening them again she sobbed, relief flooding her to see the blood vanished. She looked back down at the bag in front of her, straining to focus on the zipper, she finally got her fingers wrapped around it and pulled it open. Digging inside the bag, she found the bottle of herbal supplements but the bottle was slippery, so slippery she couldn't hold it in her hands. Panic rising up through her smelled like copper in her mouth.

Thane appeared in her field of vision, but she didn't look at him, too afraid he might start bleeding again. She picked up the bottle, but dropped it again. A green hand wrapped around the bottle, lifting it into the air, Jasmine followed the bottle with her gaze, letting it lead her to Thane squatting next to her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, reaching out to run her fingers over the bright, bright red frills at his throat.

He moaned softly, and it tickled her fingers, making her giggle. He smiled, and she wanted to kiss him again so badly she couldn't remember why she ever stopped. His mouth moved, he was saying something, but she didn't hear him. Raising up on her knees, she took his face in her hands, and licked her lips.

He took ahold of her wrist. "Jasmine, come to the kitchen with me. Let me get you some water."

"Kiss me," she said, the words scratching her throat.

He dropped his gaze. "Siha, you need to take these."

"I've wanted you for so long." She rubbed her thumbs over his face, moving from smooth green to ribbed red and back again. "Just kiss me." Her thumb trailed over his lower lip, tugging his lips apart. "Please?"

Letting one of his knees drop to the ground to brace himself, he took her face in his hands and kissed her, soft and slow. Breathless when he pulled away, Jasmine rested her forehead against his. Tears streaming down her face as the fresh dose of venom hit her system, lighting up the whole room.

"Come to the kitchen with me, please?" His words rolled across her skin, leaving trails of silver flames dancing on her face.

Jasmine closed her eyes and nodded, letting her arms drop to her sides when he pulled away. His pained groan barely cutting through the purple haze surrounding her brain as he pushed himself back to his feet. She shook her head when he offered her his hand, not remembering why, just knowing she didn't want him helping her up. Wrapping her hands around the closet's door frame, she scrambled to her feet, the room spinning around her, the walls swelling and contracting. She squeezed her eyes closed again and took a deep breath, letting Thane lead her away when she felt him take her hand.

* * *

He knew he should feel bad, and he supposed a part of him did, but a far larger part of him felt elated. Overjoyed, he wanted nothing more than to lift her into his arms and carry her to bed with him, just to fall asleep with her next to him. He wouldn't, of course, and with his injuries it'd be a terribly unwise idea to try. Even with the herbal supplements acting to counteract his venom in her system, she needed time to recover and think things through … they both did.

Thane hadn't intended to kiss her, he just wanted so desperately to feel her close again. After everything that passed between them the last few days; after how upset he'd made her. He selfishly wanted to feel her in his arms again, to truly know everything between them would be alright. But when she took hold of him, pulling him to her, all he wanted was to know the feel of her tongue on his. He had no words to describe the taste of her mouth, no words to describe the fire that roared to life inside of him when she moaned.

He sat on the couch, Jasmine resting on her side with her head in his lap, neither of them speaking as he stroked his hand over her hair. Before Jasmine came into his life, the only time he'd ever touched human hair had been in the fractions of a second before he snapped their necks. Her hair felt smooth like silk, individual strands moving fluidly together, shifting at the slightest touch.

Her eyes fluttered closed again, this time staying shut. Thane watched, continuing his gentle caresses until her breathing evened out and her eyes began to shift beneath her eyelids. He waited a while longer, ignoring the steadily growing throb in his abdomen until he was certain she slept soundly enough for him to move. Cradling her head in his palm, he pulled over one of the throw pillows, ready to slip it under her head as soon as he moved out of the way.

Thane got Jasmine settled without waking her, draping a blanket over her and turning the lights down low. In his own room, he opened the bottle of pain pills, swallowing another half with the glass of water on his nightstand before turning the light off and easing back into bed. He'd only been there maybe ten minutes when he heard movement in the next room. Listening intently, he tracked her movements throughout the apartment. She'd gone to the kitchen first, letting the water run a moment before making her way to the closet. He just barely made out the sound of the zipper on her duffle bag, and the muffled sound of her rifling through her bag before he saw the bathroom light come on. A few minutes later the shower started, and then, instead of her beautiful voice singing, he heard strangled sobs.

_What have I done?_

He felt torn, wanting to go to her and knowing he shouldn't, especially since she went to such great lengths to try and hide her pain from him. If she were actually in the shower, it'd complicate things even further. Thane hid his face in his hands, trying to understand how they'd gotten to where they were, and how much damage he'd done to the woman he only hoped to help.

A few minutes later, the shower stopped, and Thane dropped his hands to better listen. When the bathroom door opened and the light extinguished, he expected to hear her move back to the couch. Instead, her silhouette appeared in his doorway, and he turned on the light.

Jasmine stood with her arms wrapped around herself, her still damp hair hanging loose around her bare shoulders, leaving darkened patches on the fabric of her black tank top. She chewed on her lip, watching him with wide eyes. Thane opened his mouth to speak, but he didn't know what to say to her. She saved him further shame by speaking first.

"I don't want to sleep on the couch." She pulled her lip back between her teeth, rubbing her hand up and down her arm.

"Ah." A stupid thing to say, but it's what came out of his mouth. He'd gladly surrender the bed to her, he'd tried to the night before but she wouldn't allow him. It felt wrong having her sleep on the couch to begin with, so if letting her have it now helped her in any way, he didn't think twice. Thane started to pull back the covers, moving his legs to sit up.

Jasmine shook her head. "No … I don't want to be alone." She pulled her thumb up to her mouth, abandoning her lip to chew on her nail instead. "Stay in here with me? Just to sleep, I mean."

"Yes, of course … if you're certain that's what you want?" He settled back in against the pillow.

Her only answer was to walk around to the other side of the bed. Thane followed her with his gaze, lifting back the covers on the other side, inviting her to join him. Jasmine dropped her hand from her mouth, and he saw her lip was red and swollen from her teeth. She crawled into the bed next to him, pulling the covers down around her.

Thane smiled, turning out the light once she settled into her pillow. A few seconds later, he felt the bed shift as Jasmine moved closer to him, and he lifted his arm out of her way, welcoming her to his side. She laid her head in the crook of his arm, resting a hand on his chest.

"Is this okay?" she asked, her voice soft and hopeful.

Thane brought his arm back down to wrap around her back, his hand resting on her shoulder. Covering her hand with his own, he slid it further up to rest over his heart. "This is perfect."


	17. Vhen Rolan

**Vhen Rolan**

Jasmine's eyes shot open, every muscle in her body tensing at once. Hard muscle and thin fabric shifted beneath her fingers, drawing her attention to her hand and the warm, green-scaled fingers resting atop hers. She glanced up, finding Thane's dark gaze on her.

_Oh God._

Trapped between the two of them, her omni-tool vibrated against her wrist. Jasmine pulled away from Thane, sitting up to get a look at her omni-tool screen. The number was new, but she recognized the attached code easy enough: she was getting a work related call while laying in bed next to a freelancer. "Shit."

Jasmine threw the covers off of her, crawling to the edge of the bed, trying not to jostle Thane too much. As soon as her feet hit the floor, she bolted for the bathroom, locking herself inside. Taking a deep breath, she opened her omni-tool and accepted the call. Expecting to see the nameless face of a new liaison, Jasmine blinked three times when Leon's face filled the screen instead.

Leon grinned, lifting a mug to his mouth to take a sip, gaze never leaving Jasmine's. "You're supposed to be here training, not sleeping in, Jasmine."

"I had a late night." Jasmine let out a sigh, pushing hair out of her face.

Leon snickered, raising a golden eyebrow. "Asari? How do you keep landing them when you won't let them meld?"

Jasmine pinched the bridge of her nose, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "I make it worth their while. You're on the Citadel?"

"Mhmm. You've got an hour to get your cute ass to the training facility, or I'll have to come find you." Leon took another sip from his mug. "Might be more fun that way."

Jasmine snorted, rolling her eyes. "Not going to happen. I'll be there. Anything in particular you want me to bring?"

Leon sat back in his chair. "Whatever you need to show me what you've spent the last few months working on. You've used your credentials, so I assume you haven't just been hopping from one asari's bed to the next?"

_Asshole._

She'd been letting herself grow lax, becoming more and more comfortable around Thane and Rift over the last few months, it took far more conscious effort to keep her features neutral than it ever should have. "No, I threw in a few turians, a human or two along the way, too. Now if you don't mind, my bladder feels like it's going to rupture. I'll see you in an hour."

Leon smirked, lifting his mug in salute and ended the call.

* * *

She found Thane waiting for her at the dining room table, a glass of juice sitting in front of him, and another positioned in front of the chair next to him. Jasmine swallowed, taking her time crossing the distance between them, unsure of where the events the night before left them. She couldn't even say she was sure where she wanted it to leave them. His gaze followed her movements, a soft smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. She stopped next to the chair but didn't sit down, offering him her hand when he turned to sit sideways and reached out to her.

Jasmine sighed, realizing she wanted nothing more than to tell Leon to fuck off so she could crawl back into bed next to Thane. The hopeful look in his eyes made her think he might like the same thing. Maybe last night was a good thing. It felt like a good thing, didn't it?

She pursed her lips and took a deep breath, letting her words come out in a rush on the exhale. "I have to go."

He dropped his gaze to their hands, running his thumb along the back of hers and nodded his head. "I thought you might." He swallowed. "I wasn't sure if you'd have time for breakfast," he said, gesturing at the glass next to her, "but I thought you might at least like a glass of juice."

Jasmine pulled out the chair and sat on the edge, facing him. "Leon's on the Citadel. I don't know how long he's going to be here, but it's better for both of us if I don't contact you while he's around." She chewed on her lower lip, not wanting to give voice to her suspicions that if Leon were here to check on her, she'd soon be leaving the Citadel herself. "I'm not even going to ask if you need to have someone else come stay with you, but promise me you'll take it easy." She forced a smile on her face, fighting back the urge to cry and throw herself in his arms.

Thane chuckled. "I'd refuse if I thought it meant you'd stay." He squeezed her hand. "Don't worry about me, siha. I'll be fine."

Jasmine smiled, returning the squeeze. "I've got to meet up with him in an a hour, but I need to swing by my place to pick stuff up …."

She stood up, and he followed her to his feet, still holding her hand, their bodies mere centimeters apart. Jasmine's heart thumped against her ribs and her breath caught in her throat. Feeling his warmth so close to her again—void of a sleep muddled mind—left her jittery and at a loss as to what to do with her hands.

_Christ, what am I, twelve?_

He brushed his hand across her cheek, and she smiled. She leaned into the touch, her nervousness easing as his thumb traced the edge of her jaw. Edging a little closer, she rested her forehead against his sternum and sighed. He slipped his hand around to the back of her neck, pressing his lips to the top of her head.

She wanted to ask him what this was to him—what she was to him—but she couldn't bring herself to form the words. She wanted to tell him that she cared about him … as something more than just friends, but she didn't feel strong enough just then to handle it if he didn't feel the same. "I should go."

* * *

Jasmine stood across the ward from the Alliance training facility, lost in the shadows as she watched the burly blond man standing next to the news kiosk. It'd been awhile since she'd actually dealt with Leon face to face, and although she never could bring herself to hate the man, she definitely prefered keeping him at a distance.

_Fuck his timing is terrible._

She could tell the moment he felt her gaze on him; the muscles of his broad back and shoulders rippling beneath his white t-shirt before relaxing once more. A moment later he shifted his position, standing to the side of the kiosk with his arm lifted, braced against the wall, affecting a casual stance. His gaze roamed the area, passing right over her twice without spotting her. Jasmine smirked, waiting for his gaze to sweep past her again before stepping out of the shadows.

Unlike Thane, Jasmine had been trained to disappear in a crowd, to blend in seamlessly where humans were found. Thane lived in the shadows, apart from the crowd, but always watching, always aware. Jasmine found she liked it in the shadows, too. It felt a little like straddling both sides of the same coin, letting her exist in two different worlds.

She walked along the outer edges of the ward, moving through the crowd to approach Leon from behind. Rarely ever able to get the upper hand on her handler, she couldn't pass up the opportunity when it presented itself. Nearing closer, she activated her tactical cloak, enjoying the irony that it was he who gave it to her. Less than a meter away, Jasmine was just about to reach her hand out to tap Leon on the shoulder when the man lifted his head, turning to face her.

"You're late." Leon smirked. "Glad to see you like your new toy."

_Damn it!_

Jasmine fought back the urge to growl her frustration, schooling her features into a relaxed smile before letting the cloak drop. "I'm not late. I've been watching you for fifteen minutes, it took you twelve to catch on."

Leon let his gaze travel down Jasmine's body before dragging it back up to her face, his smile growing. "You look good, Jasmine."

"Of course I do." Jasmine cocked an eyebrow. "You don't look half bad yourself, but why the surprise visit?"

Leon slung his arm over Jasmine's shoulder, guiding her toward the training facility door. "We've got time for questions later."

Jasmine rolled her eyes, shrugging his arm off of her. "Really? You know I hate that." She stepped into the training facility, flashing a smile at Rawlins standing behind the desk.

"Why do you think I do it?" He winked at her.

Jasmine brought her elbow up, planting it in his side. Leon huffed and chuckled, throwing his arm back around her, steering her to the front desk. Rawlins' smile faltered, his gaze shifting back and forth between Jasmine and Leon.

"Good morning, Salazar. You're cleared to enter." He turned his attention to Leon. "I'll need your name and credentials, sir."

"Mr. Robert Salazar." Leon pulled Jasmine a little closer, smiling at her adoringly.

Jasmine scoffed, pushing his arm off of her again, glaring at him from beneath a furrowed brow. "No, don't … don't do that." She turned her attention back to Rawlins and shook her head. "His name _is not_ Salazar. We _are not_ together."

Leon laughed, opening his omni-tool, and sent his mock credentials to Rawlins. The attendant looked down at his console, his fingers running over the keys as he cast furtive glances at Jasmine. She smiled at him, feeling every bit the ass she thought Leon wanted her to feel.

Rawlins looked up, locking his gaze on Leon and saluted. "Welcome, Staff Lieutenant Crane. Would you like a tour of the facilities, sir?"

Leon nodded his head, acknowledging the salute as he threw his arm back over Jasmine's shoulder, pulling her to his side. "No, thank you. I'm sure Ms. Salazar won't mind the honor."

Jasmine clenched her jaw and smiled. "Of course, sir." She pulled away from Leon, making her way through the detectors. "Right this way." She ached to get him on the mats, even if he kicked her ass, she'd damn sure get a few good blows in.

* * *

Thane paced through his apartment, every sign that Jasmine spent any time there gone save for her lingering scent, a few stray hairs … and his memories. His heart ached, she left so abruptly they didn't have the opportunity to talk things through, and a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach told him he wouldn't be seeing her again any time soon. Stopping in his bedroom doorway, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, letting the memories of the kisses they shared wash over him.

Opening his eyes again, he looked at the time and decided it would still be early enough on Kahje to call Rone. He went to the dining room, settling into a chair and placed the call. The call was refused from Rone's end, and Thane swallowed, trying not to take it as a sign of personal rejection. Resting his hands on the table, he glanced around the empty apartment finding himself at a loss as to how to occupy himself for the first time in years. Nothing seemed appealing, not reading, not meditation, and with his still healing injuries, his exercise routine would be unwise.

Thane pushed away from the table, making his way to bathroom. Turning on the shower, he adjusted the temperature before disrobing and stepping in under the hot spray. He closed his eyes, lifting his face to the water, ignoring the sting as the water sluiced over his wounds. His thoughts flowing from Jasmine to Kolyat and Irikah as the steam sunk into his lungs, tightening his chest.

* * *

Leon's fist connected with her ribs, and Jasmine hissed, doubling over. One hand pressed against her side, the other arm locking it down in place against her ribs. "Fuck."

"Jasmine?" Leon squatted down in front of her, eyes narrowed. "Show me."

"No, I'm fine. Just give me a second." She pulled away from him, forcing herself to straighten, shaking her hands at her sides.

Leon followed, resting a hand lightly on her shoulder. "Show me, Shepard."

Jasmine's gaze flicked to his, knowing he'd just shifted from old friend to handler with that one word. She clenched her jaw and looked away, lifting the edge of her shirt to show him the fading bruises. His fingers expertly prodded each of her ribs before touching her hand. She pulled her shirt back down as he left the mat, moving to lean against the wall with crossed arms.

Jasmine sighed and followed him, crossing her own arms and rolling her head around on her shoulders. "Come on, I'm good. Let's finish."

"What happened?" Leon raised his eyebrow. "You didn't report any injuries, I would've been notified."

Jasmine lifted a shoulder. "Wasn't work related."

His expression softened. "So what happened?"

_I had my ass handed to me by a pissed off elcor._

Jasmine kept her expression neutral. "I got caught in the middle of a bar fight."

"Bar fight?" His eyebrows twitched, eyes narrowing.

Jasmine shrugged again. "Yeah. Don't look at me like that, I didn't start it, wasn't even a part of it."

"Jasmine."

She threw her hands up, letting them fall back down to slap against her thighs. "Okay, maybe I was a part of it, but I didn't start it."

"Jasmine."

"What do you want me to say, Leon? Some dick thought he could put his hands on me. I couldn't just shoot him. Shooting civilians is bad for business, right? And I couldn't take him down easy, that would've drawn more attention. So I put up a little fight until the bouncers got there." Jasmine shook her head. "It's not a big deal. He didn't even do this," she said, indicating her ribs, "I got shoved into the bar when the crowd tried to get out of the krogan's way."

"Jesus, Jasmine." Leon huffed, running a hand over the top of his head, pushing back his mop of hair. "You just attract trouble, don't you?"

Jasmine dropped her gaze to the floor, playing the part of shame. "There's nothing to worry about. They were happy I told them C-Sec didn't need to be called, I got my buy off drinks and left. The dickhead was banned from the bar. I haven't gone back."

"Go get changed." Leon sighed. "I trust you can handle your weapons?"

Jasmine fought back a smirk and lifted her head to meet his gaze. "Of course."

* * *

His omni-tool pinged, vibrating against his wrist. Thane set the knife he'd been using to chop vegetables down on the cutting board and opened his omni-tool. He breathed a heavy sigh relief sweeping over him when he saw Rone's number on the screen. Abandoning his lunch, he moved to the dining table and took a seat. He accepted the call, dipping his head when Rone's face appeared on the screen.

Rone dipped his head in return. "Brother, my apologies, I was not in a position to accept your call earlier."

_Brother._

"You honor me," Thane said, bowing his head low, "thank you for taking the time to return my call."

"Irikah's death did not end our family ties, Thane." Rone glanced down. "She remained your wife and my sister in her final moments … Kolyat's mother."

Thane shifted in his chair, taking weight off of his left side. "Of course. How is Kolyat?"

"He is well. His teachers sent home word of praise today, he received top marks on a hanar history test." Rone's eyes lit up as he spoke.

Thane grinned, sitting up a little straighter. "That's fantastic. And his other subjects?"

Rone tilted his head to the side. "Nearly just as well. Truly, he's making wonderful progress." He cleared his throat. "I spoke with Kelena, as well as Aleha and Drali. I must tell you, Aleha is not fond of the idea of your speaking with Kolyat. She fears it will only confuse him further when you do not return to Kahje."

"I see," Thane said, dropping his gaze to study the table in front of him, "and the others?"

"Drali is in support of your reunion, no matter how limited, and Kelena has chosen to defer to my judgement." Rone hesitated. "I mentioned you at dinner tonight. Kolyat … Kolyat did not appear receptive to discussion."

It wasn't more than Thane expected, but still it stung. He licked his lips. "What did he say?"

Rone lowered his gaze. "He said nothing. Only fell silent and turned his attention to his plate."

Thane blinked several times. "I see."

Rone looked up again. "This will take some time, Thane. He is young, and things have not been easy for him."

* * *

Jasmine unlocked her door, stepping aside to wave Leon inside. "So, are you going to tell me what's up?"

"Patience, Jasmine." Leon strolled down her hall, pausing to take in the living room before heading to her kitchen. "I haven't seen you—what?—since that volus. What was his name?"

Jasmine followed him down the hall, leaning against the kitchen doorframe. "Vhen Rolan."

"Right," Leon said, opening her refrigerator and pursing his lips, "Vhen Rolan, the embezzler." Leon pulled out her bottle of rum, unscrewing the cap and taking a swig. Chuckling at Jasmine's frown, he held the bottle out to her. "I missed you. What's wrong with taking a minute to catch up?"

Jasmine sighed and took the bottle, bringing it to her lips. "Okay … let's catch up." She turned, making her way to the couch to plop down and prop her feet up on the table. "So let's see. I've shot people. I've stabbed people." She tilted her head from side to side as she made her list. "Blew one person up. Shot some more people. I spent a lot of time in the training facility, rubbed shoulders with the locals, eaten out a lot, gone to a few bars, and fed a few street kids. How about you?"

Leon sat sideways on the other end of the sofa, pressing his back into the arm of the couch and draping his arm over the back. "You used to like it when I showed up," he said, his voice soft but wounded.

Jasmine dropped her head back to the cushion, not buying the hint of emotion he laced his words with. "Things change, Leon. We're not together anymore. It's not that I'm upset you're here, but no, I can't say I'm exactly thrilled about it either."

Leon grunted, turning in his seat to rest both feet on the floor, propping his elbows on his knees. "Yeah." Leon rubbed his brow, turning his head to look at her. "Jasmine … you know, the way things went with us … I didn't want things to end like that."

Jasmine scoffed. "Come on, Leon. Someone a little prettier, showing a little more potential came along and you couldn't keep your hands to yourself. You traded me in. Upgraded. I get it. How's it working out with Laura, anyway?"

"It wasn't like that, Jasmine. I didn't stay with _Lana_ , you know that. I made a mistake, and I'm sorry. If I could change it, I would." Leon twisted at the waist, his blue eyes pleading with her. "I loved you, Jasmine. Still do."

Jasmine lifted the bottle, taking a heavy swallow. Dropping her feet from the coffee table, she leaned forward and sat the bottle down. "No, Leon," she said with a heavy sigh. "You love the idea of me." Jasmine rubbed her hands over her face. "You love the idea of being with someone who has to be submissive to you, and that's just not me. Not anymore. You blurred the boundaries between handler and lover, and I let it happen because I was eager to please you." She shook her head, turning her gaze back to him. "But it wasn't good for me, Leon. You weren't good for me."

Leon cleared his throat and pushed himself up from the couch, turning his back to her. "Well, I'm starving and you don't have anything to eat in this place."

Jasmine smiled. It was just like Leon to start a conversation, and then flee from it when it got too serious. Swiping the bottle from the table, she stood and made her way to the kitchen, putting the lid back on and sticking it back in the refrigerator. "Then let's go get some lunch."

* * *

Jasmine handed the menu back to the waitress and smiled. She kept her gaze on Leon while he placed his order and handed over his menu as well. It occurred to her that if he showed up just a few month earlier, telling her that he loved her … she might well have fallen into bed with him. Now, all she could think was how much she wish he'd go away so she could check on Thane.

Leon looked back at her and flashed her a smile. "You're staring, Jasmine."

"I'm trying to will you to spill already." She folded her arms on the table and leaned forward. "I know you didn't come all this way to just to evaluate my performance and 'catch up.'" She made air quotes.

"Alright, alright. I've got us booked on a ship out of here in ..." Leon looked at his omni-tool. "... fifteen hours. You'll be joining me on a job."

Jasmine's heart dropped. She couldn't say she was surprised, but she hoped she had more time. She needed a few more days—without Leon hovering over her shoulder—to see Thane; to say goodbye the right way. She eased back in her seat, lifting her eyebrows. "Together? Fifteen hours?"

Leon lifted his shoulders. "That a problem?"

"No." Jasmine shook her head. "So, are we burning Ramona Salazar? People have come to associate my face with the name here. If I disappear, it's going to raise eyebrows. If I come back, they'll expect me to call myself Ramona."

Leon smirked. "Come on, Jasmine. Who do you think you're talking to here? It's already been handled." He winked at her. "All of your accounts will be settled, your rent and bills paid, and a transfer will be entered into the Alliance's systems for Salazar. You won't need to come back to the Citadel for awhile. All you need to do is pack your bags. Unless … there's someone here you want to say goodbye to?" Leon raised an eyebrow.

Jasmine's pulse spiked. Not only was he taking her away from the Citadel, but he planned on her not coming back anytime soon. She forced herself to shrug, keeping her tone neutral. "I can send a message to Denver, but I wouldn't mind seeing a few of the duct rats before I go." She leaned forward again, resting her forearms on the table. "Where are we going?"

"Illium." Leon tilted his head. "Who's Denver?"

"Marine I see at the training facility sometimes. He's fond of Ramona. He'd be hurt if I left without saying anything." She smiled. "And before you ask, we're not dating, he's just an acquaintance."

Leon chuckled, leaning back in his chair, holding up his hands. "I wasn't going to ask."

"Liar." Jasmine snorted.

* * *

Jasmine put her hand on Leon's arm, bringing him to a halt. "Just … give me a minute alone with them. They don't know you, and they take awhile to warm up to strangers."

"Sure." Leon leaned against the shop wall. "I'll wait here."

"Thanks." Jasmine patted his arm as she turned, making her way down the alley where she saw a group of kids loitering around one of the main ducts. She'd sent Mouse a message, asking him to gather some of the others and meet her somewhere. He'd sent her back a location and she agreed. Leon invited himself to come along, and Jasmine really couldn't tell him no. Which meant she couldn't slip away to see Thane.

"Hey." Jasmine shoved her hands in her back pockets.

"Hey, Jasmine." Mouse moved a little closer to her, his gaze darting past her toward Leon. "What's up?"

Mila, Talak, Sarah, and Connor watched her with big, hopeful eyes. Jasmine knew that by calling them all here, it made them think she needed something from them. Something that she'd be willing to pay for.

"He can read lips," she said, nodding her head back toward Leon. "No one say Sere Krios' name, okay?" Jasmine kept her voice low, even though she knew it wouldn't carry to Leon. She hoped it might help impart her need for secrecy to the children.

Sarah and Connor, the youngest of the group by far, looked at one another confused. Jasmine shifted, using her body to block them from Leon's sight before they could ask her why or slip up. The others bobbed their heads in agreement. Sarah and Connor did the same, following their lead, and Jasmine smiled.

"I came to tell you guys that I have to leave the Citadel; my work is reassigning me." Jasmine pulled her hands from her pockets and crossed her arms, needing the little bit of comfort she could bring herself. "I didn't want to just disappear on you guys."

Mila took a step closer, turning doey eyes on Jasmine. "Will you be coming back?"

Jasmin shook her head. "I don't know. I'm sure I will eventually, but I don't know when or how long I'll be able to stay."

"Well, where are you going?" Mila wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing her hands over her arms.

"I'm sorry, Mila, I can't tell you that. I'm not allowed to discuss those things." Jasmine reached out, waving the girl to her, pulling her into an embrace when she stepped forward. "But if you want to give me your contact information, I can keep in touch with you."

Mila nodded her head, squeezing Jasmine painfully tight, clearly starved for affection. Jasmine bit back a hiss as her ribs started aching again, and pulled the girl in closer. "I'm going to leave you guys some credits. Make sure you make it last, keep yourselves fed, alright? I don't want to hear that you blew them at the arcade or anything like that. Got it?"

Sarah and Connor kept their distance, which didn't surprise Jasmine. She didn't see them as much as the others, and they seemed more withdrawn, clinging to one another more than anyone else. Mouse told her once that they were siblings whose family died in a skycar crash after the computer systems malfunctioned. Their aunt was supposed to come pick them up from the Citadel, but never showed up. C-Sec tried to get them placed in the foster system, but they ran. Jasmine struggled with the idea of alerting C-Sec to their whereabouts a few times, they didn't seem to be adjusting to life on the streets the way the others were, but in the end, she couldn't shake the feeling that it would be a betrayal.

After another round of nodding from the kids, Jasmine disentangled herself from Mila and opened her omni-tool, transferring a couple hundred credits to each of them. Mila hugged Jasmine again, and sent her extranet address to Jasmine before backing away. Talak stepped forward, giving her a stiff, awkward, one-armed hug before and telling her thank you before disappearing into the duct. After a moment, Sarah waved at Jasmine and then let her brother lead her back to the ducts after Talak.

"Mouse I need a favor," Jasmine said softly, stopping him before he could leave with the others.

Mila made her way to the duct opening, but lingered, her gaze never leaving Mouse. He looked up at Jasmine expectantly, waiting for her to tell him what she needed.

Jasmine raked her teeth across her lip. "I need you to tell Krios that I'm leaving first thing in the morning, and that my friend over there is traveling with me. Tell him … tell him I'll get in touch with him as soon as I can, but it might be awhile."

Mouse nodded once before giving Jasmine a brief hug. "Thanks, Jasmine."

"Yeah." She ran her hand over his head, earning her an exaggerated look of ire. "Thank you."

Mouse huffed, using his fingers to push his hair back up into messy spikes and flashed her a lopsided smile. Jasmine grinned, watching as he ran down the alley to meet up with Mila, helping the young asari into the duct before climbing in behind her.

* * *

" _Jasmine wants me to tell you she's leaving the Citadel in the morning. And that guy she's with is going with her. She said she'll message you when she can, but doesn't know when it'll be."_

" _Did she say where she was going? Or if she'll be returning to the Citadel?"_

" _She told Mila she couldn't say where she's going. Doesn't know when she'll be back or for how long. I think she said it had something to do with work. I don't know, she was acting kind of weird. That guy stayed away from us, and she told us he could read lips so we couldn't say your name."_

" _I see. Thank you for letting me know."_

Thane closed his omni-tool and leaned back in his desk chair, staring absently at his laptop's screen. He'd been researching Kepral's Syndrome off and on for the last couple of days whenever Jasmine wasn't around or preoccupied. Comparing his symptoms to those listed on the various extranet sites did little to reassure him. Still, if the doctors were right, there were treatments he could undergo to stop the progression of the disease—it needn't ever get to the point where an actual diagnosis be made. He needn't let himself decay … but it meant returning to Kahje. He didn't know if he could bring himself to do that; it felt like endangering Kolyat, and at a time where he was only just reaching back out to his son.

He wished, not for the first time since she left that morning, Jasmine was there to talk to. The desire to share so much of himself with her still alarmed him, but it did nothing to stop him from craving her presence. And now he didn't know when he'd see her again—if he'd see her again. The ache in his chest flared to life, and he pressed his palm against it, rubbing absently.

_I can't let that happen. She'll call. She will, and I'll see her again._


	18. Leena Denova

**Leena Denova**

Jasmine stopped just inside the small cabin's door. Of course Leon booked them to share a room. Of course. At least they didn't have to share a bed. "Top or bottom?"

Leon chuckled, his hand grazing Jasmine's lower back as he pushed past her. "I always did like it better with you on top." He plopped down on the bottom bunk, crossing his legs at the ankle, lacing his fingers behind his head while he grinned up at her.

Jasmine rolled her eyes and tossed her gear on the top bunk. "You know … not going to happen, Leon. I thought spending the night on the couch after you conveniently forgot to get yourself a room for the night would've made it clear."

He lifted his shoulders up to meet his ears. "Honest mistake."

"Mhmm. So, what's the plan?" Jasmine propped her elbow on the metal frame of the bunk bed, and made a fist to rest her head on.

Leon watched her, his gaze making her skin crawl. After long, quiet moments, Jasmine arched her eyebrows, jutting her chin forward.

"You tell me." Leon dropped his feet to the floor, sitting up and leaning forward. "I'll give you the dossiers," he said, opening his omni-tool, "and you tell me how you think we should proceed."

Jasmine blinked twice and sat down next to Leon. "Okay. Why? Isn't this more your thing?"

"Maybe I just value your opinion. Why's that a bad thing?" Leon shrugged, closing his omni-tool.

A moment later Jasmine's pinged, vibrating against her wrist. She watched Leon with narrowed eyes for a few seconds before opening her omni-tool and pulling up the dossiers.

* * *

He hadn't slept very well. The pain in his abdomen was near negligeable, but thoughts of Jasmine kept him awake late into the night. There remained so much left unsaid between them, so much he wanted to tell her, so much he needed to hear from her. She had kissed him; said she wanted him—asked him to kiss her again … but what did that mean, really? He chose to believe her confession wasn't as simple as merely expressing an attraction. He may not be the best when it came to matters of the heart, but he believed he saw something more in her eyes, felt something more when she curled in against his side, falling asleep with her hand on his chest.

Three times he nearly left, thinking how easily he could get into her apartment undetected; how easily he could slip into her room, her handler never suspecting she wasn't alone. But if he were wrong, if he were seen … well, he couldn't justify risking Jasmine's safety or her career. He had no way to know how her handler or the Alliance might respond to learning she'd been associating with a freelancer … especially when she went to lengths to keep him away from this Leon. It would be unwise for him to reveal himself so openly.

Perhaps she might not even want him there. Everything he thought she felt for him might be nothing more than his own wishful thinking. What if he never saw her again? Never got the chance to speak to her, so he could know with certainty. No, he wouldn't allow himself to doubt. She cared for him, she must; too much stood between them for it all to be nothing.

She'd reached out to him through Mouse, if she didn't intend to contact him, she needn't have bothered. He could be patient. He would wait. For her, he'd wait as long as it took.

* * *

"Six targets, spread out through Illium." Jasmine pursed her lips. "This isn't going to be a fast sweep. We'll need to pace them to not draw attention, but not so much the others have a chance to get spooked and run. There aren't a lot of humans on Illium, but enough we won't stand out by species alone." She glanced up at Leon. "We need more information on RetCorp. We need to know how far their reach is before we make our move."

"So? What do you suggest?" Leon smiled at her, pride dancing in his eyes.

"Do we have contacts on Illium? We need an in with RetCorp." Jasmine turned, pulling her knee up on the bed.

Leon shook his head, pushing himself further back on the bunk before turning to rest his back against the wall, stretching his legs out next to her. "No established contacts on Illium."

Jasmine looked back down at the dossiers, sucking her teeth. "Then we'll have to establish a contact on Illium, preferably someone in RetCorp." She scooted over, giving herself more space between Leon's leg and her own. "This might take some time." Her heart sank with the realization. She was going to be stuck on Illium, with Leon, indefinitely. "I need a list of all RetCorp employees, everything we can get on them. Names, where they live, what restaurants they frequent … everything. If we're lucky, we can find one who's had issues at work. Someone who, under the right circumstances, might be willing to betray the company."

Jasmine let her thoughts drift, turning her attention back to the dossiers. The Alliance wanted them to get rid of six asari, all linked to this RetCorp, and responsible for the deaths of over three thousand human colonists in the Terminus Systems. RetCorp knowingly and willingly sold medications that were still in the experimental phase—proven to have serious side effects in human patients—to the colonies; all at exorbitant rates. What's worse, because the colonies were cut off from Alliance space, RetCorp knew the colonies' options for seeking government assistance were limited.

When a human diplomat, Jasser Solomon, left the safety of Alliance space to visit relatives on New Canton, he learned of the contract giving RetCorp the sole rights to provide all medical supplies to the colonies. If the colonists sought out new suppliers before the contract ended, not only would it open them to a lawsuit, but the lawsuit automatically halted any further trade or purchase agreements with any other company on Illium until they settled the lawsuit.

The fine print included craftily worded clauses giving RetCorp the right to substitute any brand of medication for another in the same class of drugs. So long as the substituted drug proved to treat the same health concerns, regardless of what phase of research, or any known side effects it might carry. If the substituted drug was more cost efficient for RetCorp, it was more or less guaranteed the substitution would be made. In a word, Solomon learned the colonists were screwed.

Solomon returned to Alliance space and began pressing for legislation, allowing the Alliance to step in and aid the colonists, providing them legal and financial support through the duration of the lawsuit. A month later, he returned to New Canton to try to help push things through from that end, but suffered a bullet wound to the head—obviously a failed assassination attempt—leaving the man comatose and in such critical condition he couldn't be transported back to Alliance space. The reports indicated he wasn't expected to survive, and should he survive, he'd likely never fully regain consciousness.

Images of Thane, unconscious and lying in the hospital bed, flashed through Jasmine's mind, stealing her breath away. Something must have shown on her face, because a moment later, Leon's hands were on her shoulders, sliding up her neck to turn her face toward him. Jasmine blinked, cold flooding her system as she turned her gaze to his.

"Jasmine, what's wrong?" The concern in his eyes looked genuine enough, only making it harder for her to swallow.

She brushed his hands away and shook her head. "Nothing, I'm fine." She glanced back at her omni-tool and lifted a shoulder. "It's just hard, thinking about how many people died because of this shit."

"You've always had such a big heart. I used to think it'd stand in the way of you making it through your training, but if anything, I think it's made you more dedicated." Leon pushed himself off the bed, drawing Jasmine's attention back to him as he stretched. "So tell me … with all the kids without homes back on the Citadel … why step in for that one little boy?"

Jasmine raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?" She knew exactly what he meant, but she refused to take the bait.

Leon sat down in the one chair the cabin held, resting his elbows on his knees. "What's his name? Rift? You set him up with Geoffrey." Leon smirked. "Come on, Jasmine. You had to know word would get back to me. It's why you stayed on the Citadel so long." He shrugged both shoulders, tilting his head to the side. "Not that you didn't take advantage of the training facility, too, but it was about the kid, wasn't it?"

_Not exactly …._

Jasmine kept her face neutral. "So what if it was? You going to report me over helping a kid?" She lifted her shoulder. "It's not like I couldn't use the time at the facility anyway."

Leon sat back, slapping his hand over his heart. "You wound me. God, when did you start thinking I'm such a terrible person?" Scoffing, he shook his head. "No, I'm not going to report you, Jesus. But it _was_ time to bring you back into the game, Jasmine."

Jasmine relaxed, leaning against the metal frame of the bunk bed and offered him a one-sided smile. "I don't think you're a _terrible_ person. I'm just not as young and naive."

Leon smiled at her, his eyes full of warm humor. "Oh trust me, love, you were never naive. So, why this kid?"

Jasmine closed her omni-tool and took a deep breath, tilting her head back to study the metal slats beneath the top bunk. "It hadn't hit him yet, you know? Just how fucked up a place the galaxy really is. It hadn't crushed his spirit … being out there." She swallowed against the knot building in her throat. "I saw a chance to help, so I did." She snorted softly, turning to look at him again. "He's already got the whole William's family wrapped around his little finger. A bike _and_ a puppy."

Leon chuckled. "Sounds like a smart kid, maybe I'll get to meet him sometime."

Jasmine forced another smile, the idea of Leon anywhere near Rift creating waves of nausea deep in the pit of her stomach. "Yeah, maybe."

* * *

His omni-tool beeped, flashing once to catch his attention. Thane opened it, his brow ridges twitching when he saw a message awaited him from Rone. His breath caught in his throat when he opened it, finding a picture of Kolyat staring back at him. Once shades of tan, yellows, and light greens, Kolyat's scales had darkened with his growing maturity. Vibrant teals and blues now decorated his son's face, his jaw squarer than ever before … Thane realized Kolyat would grow to be taller and broader than him; his heart swelled with pride and a fierce longing to see his son in person.

The ache in his chest flared to life, but Thane ignored it, intent on committing every last detail of the picture to memory, knowing he couldn't keep the photo. Sadness washed over him when he realized he wouldn't be able to share it with Jasmine, amazed to know he'd do so without second thought were she there. He'd truly grown to trust her, and it filled him with both awe and terror. Lingering over the photo a few minutes more, Thane let out a heavy sigh and deleted the image before sending off a quick response, telling Rone how much the picture meant to him.

* * *

"Welcome to Athame Towers, Mrs. and Mr. Stone." The asari concierge beamed at Jasmine and Leon. "Your apartment is on the twelfth floor, I can have someone carry your luggage up for you if you would like?"

Jasmine smiled—ignoring the confirmation Leon set their aliases for them to be a married couple—and held a hand up, shaking her head. "That won't be necessary, thank you." She turned toward the elevator, waving her hand at her bags. "Get those for me, won't you sweetie?" Glancing over her shoulder, she cocked an eyebrow at Leon.

Leon grinned, scooping up her bags and tossing them over his shoulder. "Of course, dear."

Hitting the elevator call button, Jasmine dropped her weight to one hip and wrapped an arm around her waist. Resting her other elbow in her palm, she feigned boredom, examining her fingernails while she waited. If she had to pretend to be Leon's wife, an asari world was the best place to do it. Many asari saw males of other species as a novelty, and enjoyed their company, but when it came to business they tended to defer to the females of the species, and Jasmine would love it everytime. Leon stopped beside her and she flashed him a weighted glare. He grinned, showing her his perfect teeth. The elevator opened and they stepped inside. She wanted to tear into him, but waited, knowing security likely monitored the elevators.

They took the elevator up to the twelfth floor, making their way down the hall until they reached the apartment she'd be staying in—alone with Leon—for God only knew how long. Jasmine let out a sigh and unlocked the door, turning the lights on as she went. She opened her omni-tool, running a sweep of the apartment for bugs. On Illium, anyone was subject to being bugged, regardless of their profession. It became the expectation; a game the locals liked to play. They planted bugs, and anyone with common sense and the know how looked for them, if they were lucky they found them all before any scandalous information could be gathered.

Jasmine found one in each of the bedrooms—thank God he at least got them separate rooms—two in the living room, one in both bathrooms, the dining room, and the kitchen. The closets were clear. As soon as she'd gathered and deactivated the bugs, she turned her attention back to Leon. "Mr. and Mrs.? Really, Leon?" She crossed her arms. "You know this makes things more difficult. What if the way in is for one of us to get involved with someone?"

Leon sat down across from her at the dining table, and leaned back, lacing his fingers behind his head. She hated when he sat like that, she knew he only did it because it drew the eye to the deep lines of his chest and biceps, bulging against his too tight t-shirt. She snorted, rolling her eyes.

He smirked, leaning forward to rest his arms on the table. "Since when don't you like a little challenge?"

"Okay, what is this really?" Jasmine shook her head, dismay more than the motion leaving her head spinning. "We haven't been a thing for three years. And you've been fine with it. I've been fine with it. We had a comfortable rhythm built up." She waved her hand at him. "You, handler; me, Phantom. Why this? Why now?"

Leon picked up one of the bugs sitting in front of Jasmine, rolling it over in his fingers, keeping his gaze glued to the listening device. "I fucked up, Jasmine. I had a good thing with you, and I fucked it all up." He sat the bug back down, picking up another to examine. "And … I'm sorry. I've missed you."

Jasmine leaned back, crossing her arms over her chest. "I get you regret the way things happened … but, Leon, I'm happy with the way things are now. Let's just leave it at that."

Shrugging, Leon looked back up at her and smiled. "Can't blame a guy for trying."

Jasmine forced a smile and pushed away from the table. "I'm tired. Which bedroom am I in?"

"Take your pick." Leon's smile faltered, disappointment flashing in his eyes.

Jasmine grabbed her bags, taking the bedroom closest to the front door and dumped her bags on the bed. She opened the first bag, taking out her gun case and sliding it under the bed before digging around in the duffle, pulling out pajamas and her hygiene bag. She moved the bags to the floor, deciding she'd deal with unpacking in the morning.

Making her way to the bathroom, deliberately keeping her eyes away from Leon, Jasmine locked the door behind her and turned on the shower. She pulled out her ponytail holder and turned toward the sink, planting her fists on the counter while she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Sighing, she dropped her gaze and stripped off her clothes, letting them fall to a pile on the floor before stepping into the shower, the hot water stinging her skin. Lifting her arms, she braced them against the shower wall to bury her face, letting the water spray pelt her back. Jasmine closed her eyes, and took a shuddering breath.

_What the hell is wrong with him? How can he possibly think I'd … because a few months ago … Jesus Christ. Before Thane … I would've._

Jasmine rubbed her face across her arms and groaned. Images of Thane danced on her closed eyelids. Her chest felt tight, a knot rising up in her throat, tears stinging her eyes.

* * *

He lay in bed, the lamp next to him casting dim light through the room. He could still just barely smell her on the sheets and pillow; her scent faint after three days. If he closed his eyes and breathed deep—his omni-tool vibrated against his wrist. Thane opened his eyes, pushing himself up to sitting and glanced at his omni-tool. Smiling, relief flooded him as he recognized Jasmine's contact information and accepted the call.

Jasmine smiled, bringing her finger to her lips. Talking in hushed tones she said, "I've only got a minute. How are you?"

Thane kept his voice low, his gaze sweeping over her face, soaking in the details as if they were the last drops of water on Rakhana. "I'm well, siha, and you?"

She made an odd face, the side of her mouth rising, lifting her cheek, forcing her eye to squint as she shrugged. "I'll live. Can't promise he will."

He suppressed his laughter, letting his shoulders shake gently. "It's bad form to kill your handler, siha."

Jasmine glanced over her shoulder. "Yeah … well, I don't think anyone would blame me." She turned back to him, her lips parting, she sighed before continuing, "I think I'm going to be stuck here for awhile. Weeks, at least. Maybe months."

"Are you—is everything alright?" Thane's brows dipped low.

She smiled reassuringly. "Yeah, it's just …" She jerked her head up, looking behind her again. "I have to go," she said, spinning around.

Images of the room she stood in whizzed past on his omni-tool's screen, halting on a window with skyscrapers towering in the distance before his screen went dark. Something about the angles of the building pulled at his memories, bringing one in particular to the forefront.

_I stand on the balcony. Track the asari through my scope. The breeze shifts, coming from the south. Ruffling my jacket. I adjust my aim, accounting for the environmental change. It's too late, the target has moved on. I follow; leap to the next balcony. Large fronds of potted trees block my view. I keep moving, using the railing to launch myself into the air. Tuck in, land in a roll, rising to a crouch. Fingers press into damp soil. Floral scents permeate the air._

_Staying low, I move through the rooftop garden. I kneel before the low wall, knees sinking into the moss. Glance at the skyline, lifting my rifle up to brace on the wall. Bring my eye to the scope, scan the street below. There._

"Leena Denova. Illium; Zetta region, Saefos Valley." Thane tossed the blanket aside, swinging his feet over the edge of the bed, easing himself up.

_She's on Illium. She said weeks, maybe months … I have no reason to stay on the Citadel._

He pushed himself to his feet, the tender tug in his abdomen reminding him he still needed more time to heal. He chuckled, a thought occurring to him; his siha would be very upset with him if he didn't take care of himself. Seeing her … it'd be worth the risk of having her fury directed at him again. Would she be pleased to see him, though? She took her work very seriously, if he jeopardized her contract …. A few days; he could wait a few more days.

* * *

"I'm not wearing those." Jasmine stared at the trio of gold bands, the diamond in the center ring catching the light and throwing it back at her felt more threatening than if he'd pointed a gun at her head.

Leon sighed, pushing the little box housing the rings a little closer. "Jasmine, I know things have been uneasy the last few days. And I get it. But our aliases are set, and we're supposed to be married. Just wear the damn rings." Leon pulled out the larger ring, sliding it onto his finger and holding his hand up for her to see. "It's not a big deal."

Jasmine growled, snatching the box from the coffee table and yanking the rings out. She slipped them on her finger, feeling for all the world as if the thin bands just cut her lifespan in half. "This is so archaic. Who even actually wears these things anymore?"

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" Leon grinned, winking at her.

Jasmine folded her arms slowly over her chest. "I will shoot you."

"Jasmine." His shoulder's slumped, shaking his head.

She narrowed her eyes. "Leon."

"You're being petulant." He threw his arm over the back of the couch, bringing a foot up to rest on his knee.

"And you're being an ass," she said, lifting her chin in defiance.

They glared at one another in silence, his jaw clenching and unclenching, her brow furrowed and nostrils flaring. Leon folded first—much to Jasmine's shock and delight—dropping his gaze from hers. He turned back to the table, picking up a datapad, his finger tapping and gliding over the screen.

He risked a furtive glance in her direction before holding the datapad out to her. "Everything you asked for on RetCorp."

Jasmine took the datapad and sat down on the opposite end of the couch, as far away as she could get from Leon without storming off. The unfamiliar weight of the rings on her finger drawing her attention back to the ostentatious diamond set in her would-be engagement ring.

_And of course he had to go gaudy. I can't even hide the damn thing, pretend it's not there._

She forced her attention back to the datapad.

* * *

Reaching behind her, she pushed at her pillows until she found a comfortable position again and turned her attention back to the datapad. "You look promising."

She skimmed back to the top of the profile, finding the asari's name, Nevas T'sera, and added it to her growing list of possibilities. Low enough on the corporate ladder to not draw attention, years since any type of promotion or raise … and two write-ups for insubordination … yes, T'sera would work well.

_Hmm. Insubordination, huh? My kind of girl._

Jasmine pushed the asari's name to the top of her list before dropping the datapad on the mattress next to her. She yawned, stretching her arms out above her and then rubbed her tired eyes with thumb and forefinger. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table and groaned. She'd been at it for hours; pouring over employee profile after profile, staring at one datapad screen or another, no wonder her eyes hurt. She sat up and cocked her head to the side, straining her ears until she heard the muffled sounds of Leon snoring in the next room. Smiling, she opened her omni-tool to check the time on the Citadel.

_Damn. It's way too late to call … he'd answer though … I could always apologize, say I didn't realize how late it was there._

Jasmine let out a heavy sigh and shook her head, closing her omni-tool.

* * *

Jasmine took a seat on the patio of the bustling café across from RetCorp's main offices.

"Your server will be with you shortly." The asari hostess touched the screen of the small console built into the side of the table and it lit up, displaying the café's name and logo. "You're welcome to either place your order through the kiosk, or deliver it directly to your server. If you have specific instructions on how you'd like your drinks prepared, I recommend discussing them with your server as some options may not be available on the kiosk."

Jasmine nodded. "Thank you." She turned her attention to the kiosk as the hostess walked away, glancing between the menu and RetCorp.

She couldn't help but grin when she saw _cinuela_ on the menu. Leon wasn't with her—not that he'd think anything of it if she chose the drell tea—and she didn't know enough about any other ways the drink might be served, so she went ahead and placed the order on the kiosk. Settling back in her chair, she prepared herself for another morning filled with surveillance.

A few minutes later, a salarian sat a steaming mug down in front of her. Jasmine thanked him and he left her alone again. She glanced down at the mug, her eyebrows crinkling as the smell hit her. It didn't smell like _cinuela_ , and it didn't look quite right, either. She picked up the mug, taking an experimental sip. Letting out a deflated sigh, she frowned and sat the cup back down. It didn't taste bad … it just wasn't what she wanted.

She turned her attention back to the front doors of RetCorp, watching as a flood of asari, salarians, and volus came and went—she even caught a glimpse of a drell, but of course not _her_ drell. Jasmine snorted, shaking her head.

_My drell. Christ._

He was though, in a way. No, he didn't belong to her, but he'd been the first of his kind she'd ever met and they'd formed … something in the time she spent on the Citadel. Something strong enough that his absence left her malcontent, feeling as if she had a hole in her chest. It'd been years since she felt this strongly about someone else—and the last time things didn't go so well. She suppressed a groan, thinking about 'Mr. Adam Stone' and the predicament she'd found herself in with him.

Something was off with Leon. He'd been acting strange since he showed up on the Citadel, she just couldn't quite put her finger on it, something beyond whatever he had in his thick head about the two of them getting back together. He seemed … obsessive, always staying near her, looking over her shoulder. He'd barely let her have five minutes to herself since they arrived on Illium. She'd even heard him open her door to check on her in the middle of the night a few times. He didn't say anything, or even come into the room, just poked his head in and left again. It creeped her out, but more than anything, it made it infuriatingly impossible to talk to Thane.

There was something else, too, though. He seemed distracted, and almost agitated whenever they discussed the job. She'd tried talking to him about it a couple of times, but his demeanor instantly shifted. He'd plaster on one of his shit-eating grins and make a joke about it being sweet she was concerned for him. She'd been thrilled to find him still asleep when she woke up, giving her the chance to slip out of the apartment without him for once.

"You don't care for your _cinuela_?"

Jasmine's heart jumped into her throat, her hand twitching toward her pistol before she caught herself. She glanced up at the salarian server and swallowed. "I'm sorry?"

He blinked at her, lifting a hand to scratch at his cheek. "Your _cinuela_. You're not drinking it. Is everything alright with your order?"

"Oh." She sat forward, wrapping her hand around the cooled ceramic. "Um, it just tastes a little different than I recalled. It's fine, though, I'll still drink it."

The salarian sniffed, shaking his head. "I keep telling them they need to make it more clear on the menu. You can't make every drink with asari ingredients and expect customers not to notice the difference. If I were you, I'd demand a refund. Serves them right." He shook his head again. "I hate this place. I don't know why I stay here."

_Uhhhh, alrighty then, Mr. Too Much Information._

"It's fine, really." Jasmine forced a smile on her face. "Thank you."

The salarian jerked his shoulder up, letting it fall again just as quick. "Suit yourself. Let me know if you need anything else."

"I will, thanks." Jasmine watched with wide eyes as the salarian moved on to another table. She glanced around the café, discretely scanning the faces of the asari not wearing the café's uniform before glancing at her omni-tool. T'sera should be coming in for her morning kaffe run any minute.

Jasmine sipped at the now cold, faux- _cinuela_ while she waited. A few minutes later, an asari broke away from the herd, veering towards the café. Jasmine opened her omni-tool, glancing between the photo of T'sera and the woman making her way to the café door. Feeling fairly certain it was the same asari in the picture, Jasmine closed her omni-tool and brought her mug to her lips, watching T'sera over the rim.

The asari entered and stopped at the counter. Jasmine watched as she spoke with the hostess and then stood by the door to wait while they prepared her order. She glanced at her omni-tool and then said something to the hostess. The other asari nodded her head and pointed toward the back of the café.

Jasmine perked up, when T'sera made her way toward the restrooms. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up. She sat her poor excuse for _cinuela_ down and pushed away from the table, making a beeline for the glowing neon sign over the door her mark just entered.


	19. Kesyr Atela

**Kesyr Atela**

Jasmine tugged at the hem of her dress, making sure it covered the knife strapped to her thigh. She hated dresses, and she hated Leon even more for making her wear the damn thing—maybe even more than she despised him for the stupid rings.

"What do we know about this contact?" Leon pulled out the chair for her, sliding it back in as she bent her knees to sit down. He took a seat next to her, giving him full view down one side of the intersection and her the other.

"Her name is Nevas T'Sera. She's an administrative assistant at RetCorp. Low on the corporate ladder, but might still prove to be valuable." She activated the datapad built into the center of the table, pulling up the café's menu. "Her files have her as being two hundred and seventy-three; so still in her maiden years but not so young she won't be leary. We've got to play our cards right or we'll spook her."

"And what are we expecting from T'Sera?" Leon asked, eyeing her speculatively.

Jasmine selected a kaffe from the menu and sat back, letting Leon look over the menu. "We're expecting for her to make an introduction."

"An introduction?" Leon's eyebrows quirked.

"Yes. Mr. and Mrs. Stone are now highly motivated to move their investments outside of Council space. RetCorp offers any employee who brings them new business or investors a considerable commission." Jasmine crossed her legs, suppressing a growl of frustration as she tugged at her dress when it rode up on her thigh.

"Right. And where did you meet her again?" Leon made his selections and placed the order, leaning back in his chair and glancing down the street.

_Jesus fucking Christ, Leon. Why the twenty questions? Do you trust me to do my damn job or not?_

Jasmine adjusted the rings on her finger, pushing them further up, trying to find some way to make them actually comfortable. They weighed down her hand, the proverbial ball and chain, shackling her to a man she no longer loved and despised more with each passing day. "Restroom." She pointed toward the back of the café. "I asked her about her outfit. Made small talk, exchanged contact info, and spent a few days chatting with her before I asked her if she'd like to have lunch with us."

"Really? That's it?" Leon raised his eyebrows.

_Idiot._

"Does it need to be more complicated?" Jasmine snorted. "I know the concept of friends is an odd one for us in our line of work, but really for most people, it's not difficult to grasp." Jasmine let her gaze roam the streets, spotting T'Sera, she waved. "Here she comes."

* * *

Thane kept his distance, forcing himself to not watch Jasmine too closely. She'd shown an unnerving ability to tell when he watched her in the past, but oh, he found it difficult not to look at her when thoughts of seeing her again consumed him for days. He didn't want to set her on edge, or draw her attention just yet. Not while her handler sat with her; at least he assumed the tall, broad-shouldered, human male sitting beside Jasmine to be Leon. He tried not to notice how the man kept finding ways to touch Jasmine: run his fingers along her arm, pat her hand, pick at her clothing. Too far back to see her reactions to these gestures, he tried not to imagine the worst, but it left him with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

She had a history with Leon, and really all things considered, she barely knew Thane. What they shared before she left the Citadel …. No. He knew something more existed between them, and he felt too strongly about her to ignore. If she chose Leon, it wouldn't be because Thane stepped willingly aside before he even made his intentions clear to her. If after he told her how he felt, if after he laid his heart bare for her, if she then chose Leon … then Thane would concede, step aside and pray she kept him in her life as her friend.

She'd contacted him twice more since the first, all to brief, call when he realized she'd gone to Illium. Each time, they'd barely had the chance to say hello to one another before something drew her away. He'd learned, though, she sought several targets at a company called RetCorp, and from there it was a simple task to have Theodus provide him with information on the company. The precise identities of the Alliance's targets at RetCorp left him guessing: nearly everyone on the employee list involved themselves in dubious dealings of one sort or another. For that matter, the same could be said for the general population of Illium.

The sheer frustration in her tone—echoing what he felt himself—the last time she called and Leon knocked on her door, finally made up Thane's mind for him. He'd go to Illium, and find her. He just needed an in; a justifiable excuse to approach her. Illium housed a handful of other drell, which helped, making it less unusual for him to be there. However, he couldn't simply walk up to her on the streets or ask her to risk meeting him away from Leon … at least not until she had a reason to give her handler. As an asari approached Jasmine's table, leaning over to hug Jasmine before shaking Leon's hand and taking a seat with them, Thane thought he found his solution.

* * *

"Oh! My apologies." Thane squatted, helping to gather the bags he'd knocked out of the asari's grasp when he bumped into her. "Please, allow me …."

"Oh, it's alright." She knelt beside him, collecting loose pieces of fruit and shoving them back inside one of the bags. "I can get them."

_Ingratiate yourself. Touch her and smile, establish the link of friendliness in her mind._

"I insist, it was my mistake." Thane reached for one of the pieces of fruit, letting his hand brush across hers in the process. He gave her his best shy smile when she glanced up before turning his attention back to her belongings. Once they had everything gathered, Thane stood, still holding on to two of her bags and pointed at the skycar waiting at the taxi stand next to them. "Is this your cab?"

She glanced over her shoulder at the cab before meeting Thane's gaze with a cautious regard. "Yes."

"Allow me to help you load your things, it's the least I can do." Thane angled his body toward the skycar, waiting for her to give her assent. "I feel terrible … and terribly embarrassed."

Something softened in her eyes, a slow smile spreading across her face. "There's no need to be embarrassed, no harm done, and we all make mistakes." She nodded her head at the cab, leading the way over.

He put the bags in the trunk before taking the ones she held, settling them inside with the rest and closed the hatch. Thane turned back to her, rubbing the back of his thumbnail over his brow. "I don't suppose you can tell me where I might find Vella street? I'm afraid I might've gotten turned around." Thane looked around him, scratching his brow again.

"New to Illium?" She grinned.

"Ah. That obvious?" Thane smiled dipping his head and tucking his hands behind his back. He let himself relax knowing her willingness to extend the conversation, seeking out personal information about him, gave him all the opening he needed.

She chuckled lightly. "Don't worry, it gets easier to make sense of this place the longer you're here. You haven't signed anything yet, have you?"

Thane raised his brow ridge and shook his head. "No. Why, is this something I should be concerned with?"

She laughed, her entire frame shaking with her amusement as she wrapped an arm around her waist and wiped at her eyes. "Oh, you're sweet. I tell you what, I'll be passing by Vella street on my way home. Let me drop you off, and maybe I can give you a few pointers on how to survive here."

_Perfect._

Thane smirked. "I don't even know your name."

"Nevas T'Sera," she said, holding her hand out to him, "and yours?"

He took her hand, lifting it to bow his head over. "Saman Naol."

* * *

Jasmine leaned against the closed bathroom door, yelling to be heard over the shower. "T'Sera just invited us to attend a gala sponsored by RetCorp. We're in." Jasmine sent back an enthusiastic message of acceptance and closed her omni-tool. "We'll need formal wear."

She pushed away from the door when she heard the shower turn off. Making her way back to the living room, she plopped down on the couch and started looking up local stores on her omni-tool. A few minutes later, Leon left the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel.

Jasmine rolled her eyes. "For fuck's sake, Leon. Put some damn clothes on."

_Jackass._

"Why? Afraid you'll be tempted?" He waggled his eyebrows at her.

"More like afraid I'll barf." She smirked, turning a little to block him from her line of sight—because really, she couldn't deny how easy on the eyes he was—as she continued to scroll through the list of stores.

"Were we given a budget for this job?" She called after him as he made his way to his room.

"Planning a shopping spree on the Alliance's tab, love?"

_God, how did I not see how much of a sexist dick you are?_

"Right. Because obviously shopping is my top priority in all things." She rolled her eyes again. "We need formal wear. I'd rather not pay for it out of pocket if I don't have to."

* * *

He couldn't take his eyes off of her, she looked absolutely stunning. The black and gold sequined dress hugged her every curve, the patterns arching over her, creating trails he longed to trace with his fingers. Her hair, left loose, framed her face before falling over her shoulders and cascading down her back in soft waves. Taking a deep breath, his heart fluttered against his ribs as he remembered the silken feel of her hair beneath his palm, her head resting in his lap. He thought he'd be perfectly content to do nothing but stand there and watch her for hours.

If learning Jasmine and Leon presented themselves as a married couple bothered him, the feeling vanished the moment she met his gaze from across the room. Her eyes widened, her lips parting before curving into a smile. She took a step in his direction, his breath catching in his throat before she caught herself and stopped. He allowed himself a satisfied smile, her reaction everything he'd hoped for. Just as quickly, her look of surprise shifted to one of unease as she glanced behind her at Leon. Thane followed her gaze to the other man, but his attention stayed on the two asari standing with them.

Nevas returned to Thane's side, handing him a glass of champagne before looping her arm through his. "Sorry, I didn't mean to abandon you. There was someone I needed to speak with."

"It's quite alright." Thane smiled at her, torn between wishing she'd go away, leaving him to watch Jasmine, and being grateful for her presence because it meant he'd soon be able to speak with his siha. "I managed to survive somehow." He glanced back at Jasmine to see Leon draped his arm around her shoulders, keeping her attention focused on him. Thane needed to look away again, the sight of them together closing a fist around his throat. Maintaining his cover might prove to be more difficult than he thought.

"It's a wonder, that." Nevas smirked, lifting her glass to her lips. "Oh, there's Sierra and her husband, Adam. Let's go say hello." She lifted a finger from her glass to point at Jasmine.

Thane dipped his head to hide the giddy smile tugging at his lips, allowing Nevas to lead him by his arm. Jasmine pushed her hair behind her ear, stealing a glance in his direction in the process. Thane caught sight of the rings nestled on her finger, and swallowed the sour taste pooling in his mouth. Fighting back the urge to rub at the ache flaring to life in his chest, he reminded himself it was only a part of her alias and didn't mean she and Leon were truly wed.

Nevas broke away from him when they got within speaking distance of Jasmine. She touched Jasmine's bare shoulder, and Jasmine looked up, a smile sweeping across her face. Like a cooling salve, her smile washed away the ache, calming his nerves, filling his lungs with sweet, fresh air. Thane waited a few steps behind Nevas, his hands tucked behind his back until the time for introductions.

"Thank you, Mr. Stone. We'll be in touch. Excuse us," one of the other asari said, nodding to Jasmine and then Nevas before walking away.

"I'm so glad you two came. Sierra, you look fantastic. I love this dress on you!" Nevas ran her fingers over the sequins of the low-cut collar of Jasmine's dress, the gesture intimate enough to make Thane's brow twitch.

It remained a mystery to him how easily Jasmine accepted the casual touch of others, and he found himself wishing for one bizarre moment he were Nevas. Of all the species he encountered, asari were by far the most inclined to make physical contact with others while speaking with them, though humans often indulged in the behavior as well. While not always appreciated in galactic society, it became common enough few would be shocked by the easy way Nevas trailed her fingers down Jasmine's arm; by the gods how he yearned to do the same.

Leon smirked, stepping forward to slip his arm around Jasmine's waist. "She's stunning, isn't she?" He leaned in, nuzzling against Jasmine's neck.

It knocked the air from Thane's lungs as efficiently as a blow to the abdomen, leaving his guts twisting. He forced himself to take shallow breaths, keeping his gaze locked on Jasmine. His fingers twitched behind his back. She smiled, but Thane focused on the gentle flexing of the muscle in her jaw and the slight narrowing of her eyes. Laughing, she swatted at Leon's chest, shirking him off of her.

Jasmine's gaze slid to Thane and then back to Nevas. "Thank you, Nevas. You look quite lovely yourself. Who's your friend?"

"Oh, of course. Sorry, you just look so amazing," Nevas said with a wink, "it distracted me." She laughed, turning to wave Thane forward.

Thane smiled, dipping his head as he moved to Nevas' side.

"Sierra, Adam, this is Saman." She gestured at each of them as she spoke.

Leon held his hand out to Thane, smiling. Thane accepted, dipping his head again as they shook hands. When Leon released him, he turned to Jasmine, holding his hand out to her, palm up, his fingers slightly curled. Her eyebrow twitched, the corners of her mouth turning up as she slid her hand into his. Thane bowed over her hand, her fingers warm and inviting in his, savoring the feel of her touch, if even for only a moment before lifting his head and letting her fingers slip away again.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," he said, tucking his hands behind him, fingers still tingling with the ghost of her heat.

Jasmine turned back to Nevas, smiling as she touched the other woman's elbow. "Nevas, you didn't say you were seeing anyone! He's cute!" She winked at Nevas. "How did the two of you meet?"

He chuckled, coughing gently into his fist. He'd missed her wit and humor as much as anything. Though her words sounded simple enough—something a woman like Sierra Stone might say normally—he thought she'd chosen them to keep him on his toes.

Leon glanced his way, cold, blue eyes appraising Thane, before turning his attention back to Jasmine, smiling. "Trying to make me jealous, dear?"

"Oh no, we're not dating." Nevas laughed, threading her arm through Jasmine's even as she turned to take in Thane. "I'm afraid I'm not quite his type, in fact, neither of us are. Though Adam, you might be." Nevas grinned at Leon, before winking at Jasmine.

Leon laughed, his entire stance seeming to deflate. "Well, I'm afraid I'm taken."

_Interesting._

Jasmine's face stilled, and he wondered what thoughts danced in her mind. He'd told Nevas he only found men attractive when the asari began to express an interest toward him. It made things less complicated, but with the way Leon relaxed with the suggestion, Thane couldn't help but wonder again if perhaps his 'marriage' to Jasmine felt less of a charade to Leon than it should be. With Jasmine's reactions, one thing became clear: regardless of what she might or might not feel for him, she certainly did not like the way Leon touched her. Finding it completely implausible Leon lacked an awareness of the discomfort his touch caused Jasmine—yet he persisted, and so overtly—made Thane want to break the man's fingers.

Nevas turned back, studying Thane with pursed lips. "No, Saman is … my current project."

"Project?" Jasmine raised her eyebrow. She glanced at Thane, and though her face remained passive, he saw the laughter in her eyes.

He lifted the corner of his mouth, pushing thoughts of Leon aside so as to not further taint the few precious moments spent in her presence. "Nevas was kind enough to take me under her wing, show me the city, and explain to me exactly why it is I should be cautious of friendly faces on Illium." He waved his hand. "I'm new here, and only know one other person: the hanar I came to work for."

"What business are you in, Saman?" Leon asked, forcing Thane's attention back to him. He moved his hand from Jasmine's waist to cup her shoulder, pulling her possessively into his side and away from Nevas, rubbing his fingers absently over her bare skin.

Thane forced himself to hold Leon's gaze, curling his fingers into a fist behind his back before letting go. "Importing and exporting from Kahje. I'm only here until the new contracts are in place." He refused to let his attention wander to Jasmine, not only so he didn't appear overly interested in her, but also because he didn't fully trust himself not to strike Leon if he saw the look of distaste on her face again. It was a rather strange impulse for him, a new one, he could only attribute to developing feelings for the woman.

"Saman travels a lot for the hanar." Nevas, moved back to Thane, reaching for him, and he lifted his arm, letting her rest her hand in the crook of his elbow. "I envy him. Though, I suppose the two of you do a lot of traveling as well. I'm not sure I'll ever get to leave Illium."

"Oh? Why's that?" Jasmine asked, giving Thane an excuse to look at her again.

Nevas gestured around her with her champagne glass. "It's home. I've been here my entire life, and RetCorp … well, RetCorp works hard to encourage its employees to stick around."

Thane turned his head to take in Nevas with new eyes. Something about her hesitation, her choice of words didn't sit right with him. He may have only engineered the meeting with Nevas as a means to see Jasmine, but the asari had been rather kind to him. He found he didn't much care for the idea of someone working to keep her where she didn't wish to be. Glancing at Jasmine and then at Leon, he thought they both caught the same hint of fear in Nevas' voice.

"You're still young, Nevas. Surely there are more lucrative business opportunities available for you? Something allowing for travel?" Jasmine licked her lips, and Thane swallowed.

Nevas grip tightened on his arm, not much, just enough for him to notice. She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Perhaps someday." She cleared her throat, smiling brighter. "But nevermind that. Forgive me, but I confess I had ulterior motives for inviting the two of you to the gala."

Jasmine glanced at Leon, before turning her attention back to Nevas with raised eyebrows. "Is that so?"

Nevas smiled, pulling her hand free from Thane's arm to gesture at the couple. "I recalled you speaking about moving investments to Illium at lunch the other day. I thought perhaps you might be interested in RetCorp as a potential investment. I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of clearing the way for you. If you're amenable to a meeting, I can introduce you to Kesyr Atela, she's the head of the investments department."

Thane studied Jasmine's face, noting the faint twitch of her lips. It must be a favorable outcome for her, perhaps even a part of her plan. Was this Kesyr Atela one of her targets? His mind stalled with a startling thought: what if Nevas was a target? Jasmine turned to Leon and raised an eyebrow. Leon hesitated, seeming to think on the matter before nodding his head.

"That'd be fantastic. Thank you, Nevas." Jasmine touched the asari's shoulder, smiling wide enough to show teeth.

"Excellent, follow me then!" Nevas turned, waggling her fingers at Thane.

He stepped up beside her, offering her his arm once more. Nevas led them through the crowd, weaving them in and out of clusters of other people, primarily asari but others as well. Thane's gaze met that of another drell whose coloration and stature reminded him of Rone. He dipped his head in acknowledgement, and the man smiled, nodding his head in return. Nevas came to a stop next to a group of four asari, all dressed in ankle-length gowns in shades of purple and gray.

She pulled away from Thane, taking another step forward and tapping the shoulder of one of the asari. "Excuse me, Ms. Atela, I've brought Mrs. and Mr. Stone to see you."

The asari glanced over her shoulder, taking in first Nevas before sliding her gaze past Thane dismissively—excellent—until she found Jasmine and Leon. She smiled, turning to hold her hand out to Jasmine. "Hello, Mrs. Stone. It's a pleasure to meet you. Nevas tells me the two of you are looking to move investments to Illium?"

Jasmine shook the asari's hand. "Please, call me Sierra, and thank you for the interest, Ms. Atela." Jasmine gestured to Leon. "This is my husband, Adam. We'd be delighted to set an appointment to meet with you to learn more about RetCorp, perhaps discuss what investment opportunities your company has to offer."

"Of course, you must call me Kesyr, then." She smiled turning her attention to Leon just long enough to shake his hand before turning her gaze back to Jasmine. "I believe I have openings tomorrow morning and evening, if that works for you?"

"I'm sure we can make it work." Leon said, wrapping his hand around Jasmine's waist. "Don't you think, dear?"

"Of course." Jasmine smiled, her jaw clenching for half a breath.

Kesyr clapped her hands together. "Wonderful. Nevas, be a dear and take them to Jilena, she can put them on my schedule."

Nevas nodded. "Yes, of course."

* * *

"Dance with me, Sierra?" Nevas sat her champagne down, grabbing Jasmine's hand and pulling her out onto the dance floor before Jasmine could even think to decline.

Jasmine laughed, slipping her hand around the asari's waist, leading her in the dance. She almost felt bad for encouraging Nevas' flirtatious behavior, but reminded herself the woman wasn't really her friend, but a contact serving the purpose of introducing her to the higher ups in RetCorp—plus, the added bonus of getting under Leon's skin made her smile. Nevas stumbled here and there, clearly more than a little tipsy, but all smiles and laughs as they moved over the dance floor. Jasmine turned Nevas, catching a glimpse of both Thane and Leon watching them, and she smiled. She needed to find a way to get Thane alone for a minute, just long enough to figure out why the hell he came to Illium.

Her heart had slammed against her ribs so hard when she saw him, she'd nearly blown his cover and her own—coming so close to running right up to him, desperately wanting to wrap her arms around him. She considered herself lucky Leon didn't catch her slip; she needed to check herself, be more careful. Her joy shifted to something else entirely when she saw Nevas lace her arm through Thane's. Her mind raced, making it impossible to pay attention to the conversation going on around her with Leon and the two RetCorp employees, she didn't even catch the asari's names. It hurt too much to think he'd moved on from whatever went on between them on the Citadel, so instead, she thought his presence on Illium with Nevas must mean he took a contract. Maybe even a contract on her targets.

"You know, Adam is a fantastic dancer." Jasmine twirled Nevas, using the opportunity to glance back at the table, seeing Leon and Thane engaged in conversation. That definitely didn't sit well with her, as much as she trusted Thane to protect his cover and not mention anything about the two of them knowing one another, she knew Leon would latch onto the smallest inconsistency and start digging.

"Is that so?" Nevas raised a brow ridge, pulling herself back in close to Jasmine, their chests brushing together. "Hmm, perhaps I should judge for myself. What do you think?"

_Bingo._

Jasmine smiled. "By all means," she said, as the music slowed to a stop. "You should ask him to dance." She let her hand linger on Nevas' waist, leading her back to the table before the band started playing again and Nevas swept Jasmine up in another dance.

"Adam, Sierra tells me you're a fantastic dancer." Nevas held her hand out to Leon. "Care to dance?"

Leon glanced at Jasmine, and she smiled at him, winking. He smirked, pushing away from the table he took Nevas' hand and led her back to the dance floor, pouring every bit of his charm into the smile he gave her. Jasmine watched until they were out of earshot, then picked up her champagne glass, lifting it to her lips while she cocked an eyebrow at Thane.

_Start talking, mister._

A slow, soft smile spread over his lips, tugging at something deep inside of Jasmine. He pushed his chair away from the table, holding his hand out to her, studying her with the eyes that haunted her dreams more and more as the days dragged past. She set her glass back down on the table and slid her hand into his, sighing the moment they made contact, holding his gaze as he walked around the table.

They didn't move very far out onto the dance floor, keeping their distance from Leon and Nevas. His hand slid around her, settling just below her shoulder blade—his fingers finding bare skin thanks to the cut of her dress—sending electricity arcing through her. She took in a slow, savoring breath, pulling in the subtle hints of his scent: patchouli with undertones of mint. She slid her hand over the warm, butter-soft leather of his jacket, bringing it to rest on his broad shoulder. He held her gaze as he lifted her other hand in his. The light catching on his emerald eyes made it difficult for her to remember they stood in a room full of people. More importantly, among those people, her pretend husband danced with her pretend friend. Turning her other hand, she closed her fingers over the back of his hand, his warm, scaled palm pressed to hers. The music started, and he lead her, the steps unfamiliar but easy enough for her to pick up.

"Hello, siha. I've missed you." His hands pressed against her a little tighter, warmth spreading through her from those points of contact making her heart flutter, adding emphasis to his words.

She couldn't keep the smile from her face if she'd wanted to, and she didn't want to. Having him there, dancing with her, feeling his hands guiding her, the roll of his muscles beneath hers … looking into his eyes and hearing his voice … she sighed, tightening her grip on him. "I missed you, too, but what the hell are you doing here? Please tell me you didn't come all this way to steal my job."

Thane chuckled, his smile growing. "Now there's a thought." He held her gaze, not speaking for a moment before finally saying, "No, siha. I haven't come to take your targets from you; I have no contract here."

"So …?" Jasmine fought to keep her eyebrows from drawing in, confusion rising up only to give way to a new thought, one that made hope flicker in the back of her mind.

His fingers brushed over her back, sliding a little further around her, pulling her a hair closer to him. "As I said … I missed you."

The heady sound of his voice, so raw and filled with want, sent shivers down her spine even as the rest of her warmed. Jasmine licked her lips, letting his words hang in the air between them as he moved her effortlessly over the dance floor, pulling her further and further away from Leon and Nevas.

_He can't be serious?_

"You came all the way to Illium," she said, licking her lips again, trying to work up moisture in her bone-dry mouth, and swallowed, "to see me?"

He dipped his head. "Indeed."

Her breath caught in her throat, her eyes stinging with the threat of tears, overwhelmed by the gesture. She lowered her gaze, blinking her eyes to push away the burning wetness, her hand clutching his shoulder while her mind reeled.

"Do you not want me here, siha?" Thane asked, his voice laced with doubt.

She shook her head, looking into his eyes again, the green of his irises just barely visible for the moment. "No, it's not that. I do." She took a deep breath, and tightened her grip on his hand, wishing it possible to convey everything she felt through touch alone. "God I do, but … I—Jesus, Thane. What if Leon figures out who you are?"

"My only concern is what it'd mean for you." Thane brushed his fingers over her back, a covert caress as he turned her on the floor. "If my being here will endanger you in any way … tell me to go, and I will leave."

Jasmine chuckled, snorting softly. His lips curved up in an amused smile, and he tilted his head a bit, raising his brow ridges in question.

_Oh, the irony._

She grinned, glancing around her again to be sure no one listened … and she wasn't in Leon's line of sight. "It didn't work for either of us on the Citadel, why let it now?"

"Indeed," he said, brushing his fingers over her skin once more as they danced, teasing up goosebumps in his wake.

She slid her hand a little further up his shoulder, closing a fraction of the distance between them; getting as close as she dared. It wasn't enough, though, she felt the heat radiating off of him but it only made her desperate to feel more of him. "It'll be more of a challenge here … spending time with you."

"You seem to enjoy a challenge." He turned her again, his gaze sliding past her to sweep over the crowd before finding hers again.

"I do." She grinned before scraping her teeth over her lip, the knot in her chest loosened, unwinding itself now that she knew he came for her and intended to stay. "I'm glad you're here. Though, I must admit, I'm more than a little disappointed to learn you're only interested in men. And here I thought I had a chance."

Thane chuckled, turning her on the floor. "Leon is a handsome man."

"Mmm. Don't let his looks or his charm fool you, he only cares about one person really and that's himself." She glanced over Thane's shoulder, catching a glimpse of Leon and Nevas leaving the dance floor, returning to their table. "He'll leave you brokenhearted, but, if you can keep from getting invested, I suppose he's worth the ride."

Thane made the strangled coughing sound she'd so come to love, his frills turning a shade redder. Her grin widened and she bit the corner of her lip. He chuckled shaking his head at her, turning her again on the dancefloor.

He dipped his head, conceding the loss. "I'll have to take your word on it, I've no intentions of bedding your handler."

Jasmine smirked, brushing her thumb over his shoulder. "What a shame. It would've been fun to watch. I could've called Ares in for the show."

Thane laughed and shook his head. "You're incorrigible."

"Yep." She winked at him. "But here you are, nonetheless."

"I am, and I have so much I want to talk to you about." His smile faded, adding to the heavy tone of his voice. "I hope now that I'm here, you might be able to find a chance … I don't wish to distract you from your work, but I would very much like the opportunity to see you some place where we can speak freely." He hesitated, his lips slightly parted, making Jasmine want to nip at his lower lip, pull it into her mouth. "Perhaps someplace less public?"

_God, yes, please._

She glanced around her, checking her positioning again. "Work isn't the issue, it's Leon. He's barely given me any time to myself. Most days I'm surprised he lets me shower in peace. He's been acting really … strange."

"Are you …" He paused, his lips poised to say one thing before he blinked and shifted to something else. "… is there reason for concern?"

Sighing, she lifted her shoulder a little. "I'm not really sure, to be honest. With our history … but enough about him. God, I _so_ don't want to talk about him." She forced a smile. "I can slip away, now that I have a reason to." Her eyebrows shot up with her next thought. "Oh! Tell me you brought _cinuela_! I ordered some from a café, but it wasn't the same. So disappointing. You've spoiled me."

Thane grinned, lighting up the room around them. "Of course. I can make you a pot all for yourself, if you'd like. I'll give you the address for the apartment I rented."

"Where's the fun in you just _giving_ it to me?" She lifted the corners of her mouth in a slow, devious smile. "Don't worry, I'll find you."

He dipped his head, his smile widening until she thought it might just kill her not to kiss him again. "I look forward to it."

Jasmine glanced over his shoulder again, catching sight of Leon weaving his way through the crowd, and just like that the moment vanished, the warm feeling inside of her dissipating. She took a deep breath and squeezed Thane's hand, schooling her expression. "Speak of the devil."

Leon spotted her, and smiled. The urge to take Thane's hand and run away, pulling him along with her felt so strong, for a moment she contemplated doing exactly that. Adrenaline spiked through her system, ready to give her the extra push she'd need to flee. To hell with Leon, and to hell with the Alliance. She groaned inwardly as rationality replaced the flight of fancy with the next beat of her heart. As appealing as the thought was, she knew it'd never be so simple. And really, all things considered, she liked her job—she was just getting really tired of Leon.

She forced herself to smile back, and swallowed, thinking she might choke on what she needed to say next to keep up their charade. "My husband's found us, Saman, I think you might've made him jealous after all."

Thane returned the squeeze, and without missing a beat stepped to the side, ready to hand her over to Leon. "We can't have that, Mrs. Stone."

Jasmine fought back the urge to wince hearing those words from his mouth. "No need to be so formal. Please, call me Sierra."

He nodded once. "As you wish." Every ounce of desire she'd seen in his eyes seconds before disappeared, now secured behind the mask of his alias, so completely absent it almost made her wonder if she'd imagined it to begin with.

Leon stopped next to them and Thane dipped his head, letting go of Jasmine. Her fingers twitched as his hand slipped away, even her reflexes wanting to hold on to him. Leon wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her in next to him. It felt so wrong, so unfair. She clenched her jaw and slipped her hand around his back, forcing a smile on her face.

He looked down at her. "I think Nevas had a bit too much to drink. I think maybe we should take her home."

"Is she alright?" Jasmine pulled away from him, making her way back to the table. She glanced over her shoulder to see both men following her through the crowd.

Leon shrugged and nodded. "Yeah, I think she's just getting woozy and sleepy."

Nevas jumped up from the table when she saw Jasmine approaching. "Sierra! Dance with me!" The asari stumbled forward, falling into Jasmine's arms.

Jasmine laughed, helping Nevas back to her feet. "I think we've danced enough for the night. How about we take you home instead?"

Thane gestured at the asari. "I can escort her home, if you'd like."

Nevas stuck out her lower lip. "I don't want to go home."

Leon chuckled, glancing at Jasmine. He'd heard the same words out of her mouth while drunk more than a few times over the years. "Nevas, love, you can barely stand up on your own."

"If I go home, I'll be alone and bored." She scrunched up her face, and slid her arm around Jasmine's waist, resting her head on Jasmine's shoulder, swaying back and forth. "I want to dance."

Jasmine put a foot back to give herself more leverage to hold Nevas upright before they both toppled over. Stilettos were definitely not meant to support the unbalanced weight of a dunk asari hanging off of her. She wrapped her arms around the other woman's waist, and let herself be moved in the gentle, if staggered, motion. Lowering her head next to Nevas' ear, she whispered, "Your co-workers are starting to take notice. Let us take you home before you become the source of office gossip tomorrow."

"Will you stay with me for awhile?" Nevas mumbled against Jasmine's shoulder, loud enough for all three to hear.

Jasmine glanced at Leon, and when he nodded at her she said, "Sure. We can stay for a little while."

"Saman, too?" Nevas nuzzled against Jasmine's shoulder.

Jasmine chuckled, turning her head enough to see past the asari's crest. Thane smiled and dipped his head. Her gaze brushed over Leon again as she went to relay Thane's agreement to Nevas, and she caught a flicker of annoyance cross Leon's face. It told her all she needed to know Leon orchestrated the whole thing; probably encouraging Nevas to guzzle champagne while Jasmine danced with Thane. He wanted her to get drunk enough to need help getting home, so they'd be the ones to take her. He probably intended to rifle through her apartment in the hopes of finding more intel on their targets.

_Not cool, asshole. She's my contact, and we didn't discuss this._

Nevas pulled back to stare up at her when she didn't answer right away.

Jasmine smiled and nodded. "Saman will come, too."


	20. Ren'Shala D'Lar

**Ren'Shala D'Lar**

Leon slipped his hand around her arm, halting her in her tracks. She looked up at him with a raised eyebrow, nerves so frazzled she struggled not to slap him. Thane led Nevas through the front door, her arms wrapped around him as he held the laughing asari on her feet.

Leon waited for them to get out of earshot before turning his attention back to Jasmine, speaking in a hushed tone, "I need a few minutes to look around. She's going to fall asleep soon, see if you can get the drell to taker her out to the patio for some fresh air and then keep him out there with you."

Jasmine grit her teeth. "What the hell did you give her? We didn't discuss any of this, Leon."

The look he gave her, eyebrows raised and a thin-lipped frown, made her feel like a little girl about to be scolded by her father. "Don't worry about it, she's fine. She'll sleep it off. Just get him out of the way for a few minutes."

Jerking her arm free from his grip, she made her way into the apartment, glancing back at him over her shoulder. "Asshole."

Leon smirked, shaking his head as he followed her inside. She found Nevas and Thane in the kitchen; Nevas leaning against the counter while Thane poured her a glass of water. Slipping her arm around the asari's waist, Jasmine snickered when the intoxicated woman wrapped herself around her, all but purring with contentment as she ran her fingers through Jasmine's hair. Thane glanced over his shoulder as he turned off the water, the corners of his mouth tugging upward. She grinned—both because he was actually _there_ and because she knew he'd have just as much of a struggle getting Nevas to drink the water as he did with her, drunk off her ass, refusing to call it a night.

"I could use some fresh air," she said, resting her chin on Nevas' head. "How about we go out on the patio for a little while?" Cutting her gaze to Thane, she quirked her eyebrows.

"Okay." Nevas nodded her head, letting Jasmine turn her toward the patio door.

Thane dipped his head, following them with the glass of water. Jasmine got Nevas settled in a lounging chair, taking the glass from Thane and setting it on the table next to the asari. Glancing up, she saw Leon watching her from the patio door with a strange look on his face, making her want to dig in her heels and demand he tell her what the hell was going on with him.

He turned his gaze to Nevas. "Sorry to be a bother, but would you mind if I used your restroom?"

Nevas rolled over, nearly falling off of the lounge as she twisted around to look at Leon. She waved her hand back in toward the apartment. "Of course not, it's the door right there next to the couch."

Leon smiled, glancing over his shoulder in the direction she pointed. "Thanks," he said, sliding the door closed behind him.

* * *

Thane watched in silence, content with his place in the shadows as Jasmine convinced Nevas to take a few sips of water before the asari fell asleep. It became clear to him Nevas was under the influence of something more than champagne when her speech and fine motor skills continued to decline on the ride back to her apartment. Judging by the way Jasmine's gaze hardened and flickered to Leon everytime she looked at Nevas, Thane assumed the man to be responsible for Nevas' state, and it angered his siha.

Glancing back at the closed patio door, she pressed her lips together and reached past the asari, pulling a blanket off another chair to drape over Nevas. He'd have been more concerned, but when she turned to him, her features softened, assuring him things weren't quite as dire as they might seem. She stood, her gaze flicking back to the door once more before settling on him with a smile. The ambient light of the city danced off her dress and hair, bringing an ethereal glow to her skin as she made her way closer to him. Turning, she braced her palms against the edge of the half wall behind her, standing closer than he hoped, but still further away than he liked.

"He's drugged her." Thane kept his voice low enough it wouldn't carry to Nevas, should she wake.

Jasmine nodded, pursing her lips. "I didn't know he was going to."

"Would you have argued against it?" He watched her as she watched the sleeping asari, trying to imagine himself arguing with Beleno over a chosen course of action. The idea seemed ludicrous, even to him now, but then again his relationship with his old handler differed from Jasmine and Leon's in many, many ways.

Her lips parted but she hesitated, tilting her head to the side. "Yeah. I don't think she really has anything else we can use, and we're putting her in enough danger already." Her voice sounded heavy, laden with compassion and remorse.

_Not a target, then._

"You care for her?" Before meeting her, before having his eyes torn open and forced to see the world around him, he might've scoffed at the idea of an assassin becoming attached to their assets. Now he realized he'd long ago done the same with Mouse and the other duct rats on the Citadel, with Theodus even, to a lesser degree, and quite likely several others spread throughout the galaxy if he took the time to consider each of them free from the deadening effects of his battle sleep. Hadn't Nevas, in such a short time, managed to endear herself to him as well?

Jasmine lifted her shoulders, turning her gaze on him, studying him for a time before answering. "I think under different circumstances, we might've been real friends. She's nice, and I don't think she deserves the crap I brought into her life when I chose her name from a list of RetCorp employees."

"Ah." He lifted his head a little, leaning back against the wall, matching her posture.

Her eyebrows arched, defiance springing to life like wildfire in the rainforests of her eyes. "What?"

He lifted a shoulder, hesitating while he felt out the suddenly thick atmosphere around her. "You feel responsible for her."

"And?" Her tone sharpened, not much, just enough for him to notice.

He waved a hand dismissively, unsure of what he'd said this time to spark her ire, but knowing he wanted to soothe it before she became truly upset with him, especially when they likely only had a few minutes to speak. "And nothing, now I understand is all."

She glanced down at the ground, seeming to stare at nothing in particular, letting the silence stretch on for a moment. Taking a deep, noisy breath, she let her shoulder's drop. When she looked back at him, the crease between her eyes disappeared, and her voice softened, becoming almost vulnerable. "Thank you."

"For what, siha?" He turned to face her fully, the weary tone of her voice demanding his attention completely.

"For not being judgemental." She folded her shoulders inward. "For being here."

Glancing at the door and then Nevas sleeping mere meters away, Thane took a risk, reaching out to brush his fingertips down Jasmine's arm. "Thank you for not sending me away."

She chuckled, turning her palm out as his fingers reached her wrist. Welcoming his hand into hers, gripping his fingers tightly, she shook her head. "You probably shouldn't thank me. I'm probably being selfish, putting you at risk because I want you to stay."

Thane smiled, running his thumb along her hand. "I'm not blind to the dangers, siha. I felt … lost when you left the Citadel. Just being able to do this again," he said lifting their hands a little, "makes it worth the risk."

She glanced down at their hands, licking her lips and swallowing before she whispered, "What am I to you, Thane?"

Thane opened his mouth to speak, his mind racing to find the right words to tell her what he needed her to hear, to tell her how much he'd come to care for her, and how desperately he wanted to be with her, how alone and empty everything felt in her absence … but then the patio door slid open, and her hand pulled free from his.

* * *

"Did you find anything?" Jasmine asked as soon as the skycar lifted into the air, taking her and Leon back to their apartment.

He glanced over at her, his eyes suddenly cold and distant, shaking his head. She saw his cheek bulge, his tongue pressing against the inside of his mouth. A telltale sign he was upset. Crossing her arms over her chest she leaned back in her seat, ready to poke the bear if that's what it took to get him talking and clear the air.

"So … you want to tell me what your little executive decision was about?" She arched her eyebrow. "We're supposed to be working as a team on this, Leon. You left making contact and establishing relationships to me. So what's with drugging Nevas?"

"We needed more information. She might've had something we could use." He glanced over at her again. "It'd be stupid not to go looking when the opportunity presented itself. Of course, it would've been easier if her friend hadn't come along for the ride." He scoffed, the sound needling its way under her skin, pulling the muscles along her spine taut as effectively as ever. "But at least you managed to keep him busy." Something dark and ugly danced across his eyes. "What'd you even do? The guy's gay, so at least I know you weren't throwing yourself all over him, too."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Jasmine turned in her seat, her lip raised in disgust, her eyes narrowed.

"Nevas, Jasmine! She was all over you all night and you encouraged her." Leon glared at her, his fists gripped in white-knuckled fury. "We're supposed to be presenting ourselves as husband and wife, but instead you spent half the night letting Nevas feel you up in front of all of RetCorp. You could've blow the entire fucking op."

Growling with frustration, she rolled her eyes. "For fuck's sake, Leon. She was _not_ feeling me up!"

_Not exactly. And who the fuck are you to question it anyway?_

"What do you call it then, Jasmine?" Leon arched an eyebrow at her in challenge. "Every time I looked up I saw her touching you, wrapping her arms around you, dragging you out on the dance floor … ogling your tits and pretending it was your dress that caught her attention."

"Oh my God, you're serious." Snorting, she shook her head. "Nothing out of the ordinary happened, Leon. In fact, if I had to guess, I'd say only one person paid any attention to when and where Nevas touched me tonight, and that's you."

"Is this job a joke to you?" Leon sneered at her. "I thought you were ready … thought you wanted to be taken seriously. I guess I misjudged, because all I've seen out of you tonight is half-assed attempts to do your job, because _you_ can't put your personal feelings aside."

Jasmine let out a sharp bark of laughter, her eyebrows shooting halfway up her forehead. "Excuse me?"

"I told you I loved you, and you threw it back in my face." Leon met her gaze, staged pain painting the blue of his eyes a darker shade in the dim light of the skycar. He shrugged. "That hurt, Jasmine, but I get it. You're not interested in me anymore. Hell, you fucking hate me … I guess I just didn't realize things were that bad between us … but it doesn't matter, because when we walk out the door together, all that shit stays behind." Leon swallowed, his voice dropping, sounding strained. "Hate me on your own time, but when we're out there, suck it up and treat me like you're my loving wife. We'll get the job done and you won't have to deal with me again."

"I don't hate you, Leon, not yet anyway, but you sure as fuck are making it awful hard to like you right now." Jasmine took in a deep breath, trying to calm the mountain of rage growing inside of her. "And maybe you haven't noticed, but most married couples don't cling to each other the way you were on me tonight." She took another deep breath. "Maybe it's not me who can't put my personal feelings aside in order to do the job."

They flew in silence, the quiet only amping up the tension, making the air so thick she felt like she might choke on it before they got back to the apartment. She stared out the windshield, watching the other cars fly by and the lights flashing all around them. Wishing like hell Leon never showed up on the Citadel, she wanted nothing more than to be lying next to Thane, making him watch old Earth vids with her, laughing as she tried to explain the outdated jokes. The never did finish watching _The Hobbit._ She wanted to know what she meant to him, but she realized, ultimately it didn't matter; whatever she had with Thane, even if it never became anything more than a stolen kiss and holding hands while they talked about how fucked up their lives had been … what he gave her was already infinitely better than anything Leon ever offered.

She kept her gaze forward, her voice low and steady as he landed the skycar just outside of Athame Towers. "I don't know what's going on with you, but you haven't been acting like yourself since you showed up on the Citadel."

"Please. I'm not the one who's changed. Don't make your problem about me, Jasmine." Leon turned off the car, opening his door, looking back at her over his shoulder. "You might want to spend some time tonight brushing up on your acting skills, we've got a meeting with Atela in the morning. You know, in case you thought we're just here to have fun."

"You know, you are so full of shit! Maybe if you weren't acting like a jealous ape all goddamn night, pawing at me like I'm a prize to be won in a territorial dispute, then _maybe_ just maybe, I might've been able to stomach playing the part of a doting wife." Jasmine opened the skycar door, stepping out into the cool night air before turning around to square off with Leon over the top of the vehicle.

"The fact of the matter is, you're jealous. Like, actually jealous. Not pretending to be jealous, not trying to preserve our cover … but actually fucking jealous." Scoffing, she shook her head. "And not even because you give a shit about me, because you don't and never have, but because you realize you aren't the center of my universe anymore. I don't fall to my knees at your feet when you crook your finger at me. You're jealous because you _can't_ have me."

She twisted her mouth in a sneer. "You have _no_ right to be." Pressing her palms to the top of the skycar, she leaned over to hiss, "I'm _not_ your wife, Leon. I'll _never be_ your wife, so keep your fucking hands off of me."

She turned her back on him, daring him to call her out and order her to face him. He said nothing, so she started walking, making her way to the front doors of Athame Towers. Reaching the entrance, she glanced over her shoulder to see Leon climb back into the skycar and take off. She clenched her jaw, watching the skycar disappear into the darkness of night before opening the doors, pissed she'd let him get her so worked up, and annoyed to no end she let him get away with changing the subject.

She forced a smile in acknowledgement at the concierge's greeting, knowing all too well it looked every bit as angry as she felt. Making her way to the elevators, tears began to sting the her eyes and she silently cursed herself, ramming her finger into the elevator call button a second time even though she knew it wouldn't make it arrive any faster. Finally, the elevator came and Jasmine stepped inside, pushing the button for her floor before shoving her palms against her eyes.

* * *

The stench of alcohol and the strangled sound of someone fighting back sobs shook Jasmine from an already restless sleep. Her heart skipped a beat in her chest, her mind racing for one, sleep-blurred moment until her training kicked in, and she steadied herself. Keeping her breathing even and her eyes shut, she tossed on her bed, staying with the ruse of sleeping as she put her hand a little closer to her pistol and tried to pinpoint the intruder's location.

"It's just …" Leon's voice, thick and slurred sounded from a meter away directly ahead of her. "… fuck, it's just me, love."

She opened her eyes, zeroing in on the all too familiar silhouette of her handler hunched over in the armchair across from her bed. "What the hell, Leon?"

"Shh … it's just me. You don't need to shoot me, just go back to sleep. You don't need to shoot me."

Jasmine suppressed a groan, pushing herself upright until she reached the lamp switch and turned on the light. Squinting her eyes against the glare, she looked at Leon, taking in the dried trail of blood coming from his clearly broken nose, crimson droplets staining his shirt, and the bottle of asari honey mead dangling from his hand. His mop of golden hair hung in his face, bloodshot eyes blinking back tears.

She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose before throwing the covers off and sitting up. Sliding off the bed, she moved to stand in front of him. "What happened?"

He leaned back in the chair, his head lolling back as his glassy eyes took her in. "I got in a fight."

"With who?" Jasmine pressed her fingers to her forehead, rubbing at the bundle of tight muscles just beneath the skin.

"Drulius." Leon lifted the bottle to his mouth, spilling the mead down his chin before scrubbing his hand over his face to wipe it away. He winced when his fingers hit his swollen, bruised nose.

She took a deep breath, letting it out slow. "Who is Drulius? Why'd you get in a fight? Is our cover here blown?"

Leon scoffed, the sound so full of derision she had to hold herself back from punching him in his already battered face. "Cover's fine." Leon pushed forward in the chair, wobbling even before he managed to make it to his feet. "He's just a turian I met in a bar. Got … got in a fight with him … 'cause why the fuck not?"

His massive frame started to tilt to the left, and Jasmine reached out a hand to steady him. He jerked his arm away from her, stumbling backwards and plopping back down into the chair in the process. "Don't … don't touch me." Pushing himself back up, he dropped the bottle, spilling alcohol out all over her floor.

Jasmine groaned, picking up the bottle and setting it on her night stand before turning her attention back to Leon. "Come on, let me help you get cleaned up and in bed. Looks like you managed to at least set your nose, but that's going to hurt like hell in the morning."

He waved her hands away when she tried to help him up again. "You said … you said keep my fucking hands off you … so don't touch me."

"Jesus fucking Christ, Leon." She held her hands up in surrender. "Alright, fine. Then get your ass up, and go to your own bedroom."

He pushed himself up and took staggering steps forward, stopping to brace himself against the closed door, leaning his head against the smooth metal surface. "I need you to help me, Jasmine," he all but whispered, his voice hoarse and choked.

"What do you think I'm trying to do?" She slapped her palms against her thighs.

He rolled his head, shaking it back and forth against the door. "Not what I mean."

"Then what do you mean?" She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.

He looked back at her, his gaze wavering and unfocused before he licked his lips and opened the door. "Nevermind." Cursing softly, he stumbled out of the room.

She followed him out, her gaze snagging on an unfamiliar shape stretched out over the couch in the near-dark living room. Her breath caught in her throat, and she stopped in her tracks, reaching for a gun she didn't have on her when she realized the shape belonged to a person. Slapping her hand down on Leon's back, she gripped his shirt in a fist and pulled him back, turning her shoulder to brace his weight before he fell in a heap at her feet. She reached up, covering his mouth with her other hand, clamping down on his startled yelp. Letting her hand slide down his back, she checked his waist for his sidearm, pulling it free from its holster.

Jasmine let go of him, the pistol whirring to life in her hand as she took aim at the figure on the couch. Leon's heavy hand fell on her shoulder, and she glanced back at him, the light from her room only adding shadows to his face.

Shaking his head he reached for the weapon, waggling his fingers at the pistol. "It's Drulius, love. You don't need to shoot him either."

Clenching her jaw, she bit back her snide remarks, collapsing the pistol and shoving it against his chest. She pointed at his bedroom door, and gave him a little shove to get him moving in the right direction. Following him as he wobbled his way to his room, Jasmine opened the door and turned on the light. Leon collapsed down on his bed, sprawling across the mattress at an angle with his arms thrown wide and one foot still on the floor. His pistol bounced on his chest before rolling off to the side.

Closing the door behind her, Jasmine glared at him, forcing herself to talk quietly when she wanted to shout. "What. The. Fuck? Why is there a strange turian on our couch?"

He swallowed thickly, shaking his head a little as he closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, Jasmine. I don't … I don't know what I'm doing here." He swallowed again, throwing an arm over his eyes. "It'd be better if they just killed him."

Like walking face first into a brick wall that wasn't there a moment before, the confusion left Jasmine stunned, scrunching up her face. "Huh?"

He didn't say anything, his breathing starting to even out. After a few seconds, she nudged his leg with her foot. He dropped his arm back to the bed and looked at her, his eyelids drooping.

"What?" He tried to sit up, groaning as he braced himself, hands pressed into the mattress.

"I asked you why there's a turian on our couch, and you started talking about someone being better off dead." Jasmine raised her hands up. "What the hell is going on?"

Sitting up the rest of the way, he shrugged off his over shirt, already hanging loose and unbuttoned. He glanced up at her, grinning like a cat who caught a mouse. "I told him my wife wouldn't yell at me with him here."

Jasmine snorted, shaking her head in dismay. "Yeah, well ' _your wife'_ still might shoot you with him here if you don't start making sense."

Chuckling, he kicked off his shoes. "You say the sweetest things." He tugged his undershirt up, catching it on his face as he ripped it off over his head. "Ow! Fuck!" Fresh blood trickled from his nose, spilling down over his chin.

"Idiot." Rolling her eyes, she left the room making her way to the bathroom. She glanced over her shoulder at the still form of the turian, presumably sound asleep, her hackles rising at the unknown quantity.

Grabbing a clean washcloth off the shelf, she ran it under cold water before ringing it out. She pulled her lip in between her teeth, pondering the idea gnawing at her since before going to sleep earlier that night. Something was going on with Leon, something he wasn't telling her and seemed to be working damn hard to distract her from. At first, she wanted to believe he actually respected her enough to let her take the lead on the job … but after their argument in the skycar, she started to suspect maybe she'd fallen for another ruse meant to keep her preoccupied, just like all the love crap. The whole thing smelled like misdirection to her, and she wanted to know why.

After he took off, she spent an hour sorting through the programs she had access too that she might be able to use to figure this thing out. A gamble, for sure; using spyware against her handler had to be means for disciplinary actions if she were caught. She couldn't even be sure his omni-tool wouldn't be protected from Alliance designed programs. If it didn't work, at worst he'd be instantly notified of the attempt. At best, nothing at all would happen. But if it did work … she'd have access to his omni-tool, and God damn it, if he planned on pulling her into trouble head first, she wanted to see it coming.

She glanced down at her omni-tool, giving her lip one final nibble before letting it go. Activating the device, she scrolled through her programs until she found the one she wanted. She prepped the application before closing her omni-tool again, glancing at her reflection in the mirror.

_Best chance I'm going to get with him drunk off his ass._

* * *

Kesyr Atela smiled indulgently at Leon when he apologized for his appearance, attempting to explain away his injuries as having been caused by an accidental slip and fall in the shower. It was pretty clear to Jasmine the asari didn't buy it, but neither did she give a damn how Leon managed to get his face banged up so long as Mrs. and Mr. Stone were serious about investing. At least he didn't still reek of alcohol, but Jasmine wished he'd just kept his ass in bed and let her handle the meeting herself.

Leaning back in her chair, she folded her hands in her lap and smiled at the three asari executives sitting across from them. It seemed Atela hoped to streamline the meeting, skipping right over the wooing phase and jumping straight to contract signing. Realistically, it was irrelevant to both Leon and Jasmine, they were getting what they came for either way. Mrs. and Mr. Stone wouldn't be keen on the idea of jumping in head first, so they needed to make it look like they gave a damn, something Jasmine found exceptionally hard after a long night of dealing with his bullshit.

What did interest Jasmine, however, was the asari sitting in the middle of the group: Ren'Shala D'Lar. The dossiers painted her as the ringleader; the asari mastermind who wrote up all of RetCorp's contracts. D'Lar owned responsibility for the crafty, careful wording locking the human colonies into receiving deadly medications. Everything about the woman made Jasmine's skin crawl. She had the look of a predator with her sharp, focused gaze and aggressive smile; body language demanding she be given a wide berth or else risk being beaten into submission by the sheer force of her will. She was someone who clearly thrived on finding new and creative ways to screw over other people. Jasmine thought she might actually enjoy putting a bullet between her violet eyes.

Letting her gaze slide to Leon, she flashed him a smile. Begrudgingly, she had to admit even with looking every bit the part of having gone three rounds with a turian—and every drink an Illium bar had to offer—the night before, he held his own in the conversation. She let him talk, controlling the flow and keeping the asari off balanced. Obviously, they expected Jasmine to be the face of the transaction, but now they were being forced to deal with Leon as Mrs. Stone deferred to her husband. It worked well, it gave Jasmine the opportunity to do one of the things she did best: people-watching. And what she saw were three very interested asari who liked the sound of the numbers Leon threw around. The asari took the bait, and now it was time for Jasmine to give the line a little tug … and if she pulled the line just right, she might even be able to snag them a little more than they bargained for.

Leaning forward, she sat up straight, her hands resting atop one another on the conference table. She plastered a smile on her face, easily drawing the attention of all three asari back to her. "Of course, we expect to receive a full tour of your facilities before we agree to any terms." She waved her hand, brushing aside the notion before any of the executives formed an argument. "Naturally we'll sign whatever non-disclosure agreements you require first, but we simply must insist we are completely informed of what, exactly, we'll be investing in."

D'Lar's gaze zeroed in on Jasmine so completely, she almost wanted to check and see if she'd actually painted a big, red bullseye on her forehead instead of just the figurative one she aimed for. The asari seemed to really like the idea of challenging prey, one corner of her mouth lifting in a slow smirk before the other side caught up, showing Jasmine her teeth in what looked more like the anticipation before a pounce than a smile. Fighting the urge to roll her eyes, Jasmine wondered if D'Lar's father happened to be krogan.

Atela made a stuttering noise, but neither Jasmine nor D'Lar looked her way for a few seconds longer. Jasmine knew in order to play her role right, she'd have to be the one to break eye contact first, but damn it if she wasn't going to milk the moment for all it was worth. Leon nudged her foot with his, and Jasmine let out a slow breath, turning her attention to Atela.

"Mrs. Stone, pardon, Sierra, you must understand …" Atela glanced between D'Lar and the third asari, Halani Atra, before continuing, "Our facilities contain our most classified …"

Jasmine leaned back in her chair, letting her eyes take on the glazed look of sudden boredom as she angled her body toward the door, casting furtive glances at the exit. To Leon's credit, he backed her play, bending down to pick up his satchel and moving it to his lap. Anyone with basic empathy, or failing that—given present psychotic company—an understanding of human body language, could see they'd both lost interest in the meeting and were preparing to leave.

"I'm sure a tour of our facilities can be arranged, Kesyr." D'Lar smirked, tugging her gaze away from Jasmine long enough to glance at Atela. "Afterall, Mrs. Stone has agreed to sign whatever NDAs we see fit, and she is offering a handsome investment. Surely it warrants her this small concession, if it'll ease her mind."

"Of course." Atela wiggled in her chair, pulling herself up a little straighter. "We'll have to discuss it with the rest of the board, but I'm certain it won't be an issue, once the NDAs have been signed."

"Fantastic," Leon said, easing his chair back from the table. "We look forward to hearing from you."

The three asari stood, signaling and end to the meeting before Leon made it to his feet. Jasmine had to hide a smirk at all of the bureaucratic power plays those three liked to dish out. Ever the charmer, Leon smiled, pushing his chair out the rest of the way and standing before holding his hand out to Jasmine. She took his hand, letting him help her to her feet before smoothing out the nonexistent wrinkles in her blouse, all to aware of the pull of D'Lar's predatory gaze on her.

After shaking hands with the three asari, Jasmine looped her arm through Leon's and headed for the door. Atra—seemingly the least important of the three—escorted them from the conference room and out through the winding hallways to the lobby before wishing them a good day.

* * *

Thane lifted his hand, pressing the intercom button once before tucking his hand back behind him. He waited a moment, and when no response came, he pushed the button again. Instead of the intercom buzzing to life as he'd expected, the door's access shifted from red to green. Expecting the door to slide open and Nevas to invite him inside, he waited several moments before opening the door himself.

"Nevas?" he called out, lingering over the threshold.

"I'm in the kitchen, come on in."

Thane let out a pent up breath. He didn't doubt Jasmine's intentions towards the asari, but from what little he'd seen of Leon … Thane couldn't say he trusted the man to avoid giving Nevas something truly harmful if it meant the opportunity to find some small scrap of intel. When she hadn't shown up at the restaurant where they agreed to have lunch, he thought it prudent to check on her. Hearing her voice filled Thane with cool relief, assuring him the asari recovered from whatever Leon drugged her with the night before.

Making his way through her apartment, he stopped in the kitchen doorway, tucking his hands behind his back once more. Taking in the asari still in her sleeping gown, he found himself grateful her taste in sleepwear ran on the modest side. "Good afternoon."

"Afternoon?" Nevas stopped fiddling with her kaffe press and opened her omni-tool to check the time. "Goddess, I can't believe I slept this late. Well, at least I had the day off today. Kaffe?"

"Yes, please. Thank you." Thane dipped his head. "I apologize if I disturbed your rest."

Nevas waved a hand at him, shaking her head. "I wish you'd come a few hours earlier, maybe then I'd actually be productive today." Her brow shot up. "Oh! We were supposed to have lunch today, weren't we? I'm a terrible friend, I'd forgotten completely."

Thane smiled. "It's quite alright. Last night was rather eventful; I'm not surprised you needed the extra sleep. How are you feeling?"

"Like I drank far more than I should have." Nevas chuckled. "I don't even remember going to bed, but I woke up before sunrise still in my dress from the night before."

"Ah, you fell asleep on the patio after we brought you home." He paused to accept a cup of kaffe from Nevas, dipping his head to her. "Sierra insisted Adam carry you to your bed."

Nevas smiled at the mention of Jasmine's alias as she moved to her dining table. Thane followed, taking a seat across from her before taking a sip of the hot, bitter kaffe. He wondered if Jasmine realized how much Nevas adored her; the asari seemed quite willing to overlook her supposed wedding vows to Leon if only Jasmine asked. He didn't blame Nevas, not with how easily he found himself swept up by Jasmine like flotsam, the wrecked pieces of the man he was before being carried back to shore by her shifting tides.

"Mmm. Well, if you haven't eaten, how about after this I get dressed and we go have our lunch date after all?" Nevas took a sip from her mug, glancing at Thane over the top.

"I'd like that." Thane sipped at his drink, already considering what he might say to get Nevas to tell him more about RetCorp. He wanted to know what exactly kept her there when she seemed to want to leave. Perhaps there was something he could do to help her; return the favor of her kindness and helping him get closer to Jasmine.


	21. Amarala Myrasan

**Amarala Myrasan**

Jasmine activated her tactical cloak and lowered herself from the awning to the balcony floor. She stayed there, crouched low, her head cocked to the side listening as she waited for her cloak to dissipate and recharge. Nothing met her ears but the the gentle tweets of evening birds, the chatter rising up from the crowds walking the streets down below, and the hum of skycars passing her by. Her pulse raced in her temples. Reactivating her cloak, she crept to the door, staying low behind the half-wall of the balcony. She opened her omni-tool and started scanning.

_Alright, Sere Krios. Let's see what you have for me. Okay, so motion detector not so good … oh but look, I haven't activated it yet. Thank you, Leon, for the cloak. Even if you are still an asshole. Okay, so, motion detector first to go. Come on Thane, you can do better than this. There's got to be more._

"Shit," Jasmine whispered when she realized disabling the motion detector set a countdown into motion.

_Shit, shit, shit. What is it? Where is it? Aha! There you are. A flahsbang? What, seriously? Oh come on! A child could take care of that. You don't really think so low of me, do you? Wait. You've got it tied to something else … what the fuck is that?_

"Oh, that's not fair. An EMP? You'll fry my omni-tool _and_ my cloak. Damage my gun." Jasmine sucked her teeth, her fingers running over her omni-tool as she picked apart the code. Her heart raced, despite the fact she'd been in this same position, hacking her way through traps, countless times before. Why was this any different?

_Because he's inside. Jesus Christ, he traveled across the galaxy because he missed me. Or so he says. Don't … don't do that, Jasmine. He hasn't lied to me about anything else … as far as I know. He said he came to see me, so he came to see me. But why? Is it really me he missed, or just having someone around? I get it, living in seclusion the way he has … I'd be lonely, too. It'd been a lot cheaper and easier to just make a new friend on the Citadel. No, but that kiss. Mmm. He wanted it as much as I did; wanted me. So maybe stop talking to yourself and focus. He's in there right now, so hurry the hell up and get in there with him._

Jasmine bit her lip, grinning as her omni-tool gave her the all clear. Still, better safe than sorry. That seemed too easy. She scanned again, taking a deep breath and reactivating her cloak when the scan came back clear once more. Standing, she activated the door's release control, silently cursing the audible whoosh of the doors hydraulics, and stepped inside.

She paused just over the threshold, her eyes scanning the room even as she waited for something to blow up in her face. Light from an open door ahead of her on the right did little to illuminate the immediate area, but it gave her enough to make out the dark shapes of furniture. To her left, a dim light showed her what she suspected to be the kitchen entrance. When no traps went off, she let out a slow breath and stepped further inside; wincing as the door slid closed behind her.

She listened, her heart pounding in her chest, the roar of her pulse the only sound reaching her ears. Grinning, she took hesitant steps forward, pausing as her cloak dropped. She strained to listen again, catching the measured sounds of controlled breathing, heavy with exertion coming from the lit room. She closed her eyes and just listened for a second, her anticipation leaving a tremble in her limbs. Moving at a snail's pace, testing each step before she brought her foot down, she made her way to the wall, edging along it until she got close enough to peer around the edge of the door frame.

Thane rose and fell from view, half hidden by the foot of the bed. The scales of his bare back and shoulders caught the light in a rolling shimmer as his muscles bulged and moved beneath them. Biting down on her lip as she grinned, she fought back the urge to give voice to just how much she appreciated the sight of him, half-naked and on display. She activated her cloak once more, wanting to see how close she could get to him before it dropped again or she gave herself away. He stopped the second she stepped into the doorway, body low to the ground, biotics flaring to life to lick across his scales. He turned his head, looking right at her despite the cloak.

_Damn._

Jasmine sighed, dropping the cloak and leaned against the door frame, a roguish smile sliding effortlessly into place. "Don't stop on my account; I'm enjoying the show."

Thane chuckled, letting his biotics fade as he pushed himself to his feet, moving to her. She met him halfway, hesitating only long enough for him to open his arms to her. Stepping into his embrace, she flung her arms around his neck, leaning into him completely. He wrapped his arms around her, his grip strong and earnest as he took a shuddering breath.

She clung to him, unwilling to let go for a few quiet, desperate moments, letting him wash away all of the stress and tension built up inside of her over the past couple of weeks. He'd found something in her; touched a raw and exposed nerve she'd fought for years to bury, pretend it simply didn't exist for her anymore. Then, just as he somehow managed to soothe the ache a little, accepting the parts of her he uncovered and showing her his own hurts, work ripped her away. She needed this, needed him, and as much as it scared the shit out of her, it felt like coming home.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, pulling in his heady scent as she brought her hand around to rest her fingertips on his jaw and neck. She turned her head a little, letting her cheek brush across his, using the slightest pressure with her fingers in silent request. Thane turned his face to her, and she pressed her lips against his.

* * *

He held back, hesitant to lose himself in her as much as his heart demanded it of him. Afraid she'd flee from him again—and what it'd mean for any hope he had of them being together—he chastely held her lip between his. No matter how desperately he wanted to taste her, he didn't open his mouth to her, didn't let his tongue implore her lips to part for him. But they parted anyway, her tongue darting out to trace over his lip before nipping at him with her teeth, making the most interesting noise.

_Amonkira, give me strength._

Thane pulled back, taking a steadying breath, his gaze searching hers out. Fire blazed in her eyes, wild and hungry; nearly more than he could take. He brought his hand to her face, brushing his thumb across her cheek. "Jasmine … are you certain?"

She smiled, her gaze dropping to his mouth as she urged him back to her. Grazing her teeth over his lip again, she pulled a strangled moan from his throat. "I'm sure," she whispered, covering his mouth with hers.

Her tongue pushed into his mouth, meeting his with the lingering taste of something tart and sweet. She pressed herself against him, the leather of her jacket smooth against his scales, shifting and parting as she moved her arms, giving way to the warmth of her body and softness of her curves, separated from him only by flimsy cloth. Her fingers danced over the ridges of his frills before following the curve of his neck to his shoulders, sliding down over his chest until stopping just above where their bodies met.

It's been so long since anyone touched him so intimately; each stroke of her tongue, every twitch of her fingers … memories of the feel of her bare skin beneath his fingertips rose up and he desperately wanted to touch more of her. He eased his hand along the edge of her jacket until he found where it ended, telling himself he'd just run his thumb beneath the hem of her shirt, and it'd be enough.

The second he made contact, Jasmine broke their kiss, her hands abandoning him, and he thought he'd done something wrong, gone too far. His heart sank, an apology forming on the tip of his tongue. Instead, she ducked her head beneath his chin, trailing her lips and tongue along his jaw and neck, scorching his frills with the heat of her mouth, sending fresh waves of raw lust through him. He groaned, his head falling back, exposing his throat to her; so consumed by the new sensations he failed to realize she'd pulled her arms free from her jacket until he felt it fall away to the floor.

"Touch me," she whispered in his ear, nuzzling against him.

How could he deny her? Thane slid his hand inside of her shirt, splaying his fingers out across the arch of her back; the skin there so warm and soft as he pulled her in closer to him. Her breath caught, coming out in a stutter as she wrapped her bare arms around him, fingers picking up where her tongue left off. Her mouth sought his once more with renewed fervor. He found her waist with his other hand, shifting her shirt up enough he felt a swath of her stomach, naked against his.

Losing the battle with his body, he felt his arousal growing, and soon, he wouldn't be able to hide it from her or convince himself anything less than all of her could ever be enough. Why should he hide his desire from her? Surely the hunger he felt from her wasn't mere imaginings. They were only a few steps from the bed. Admittedly, he knew little about what to do with her should they move to the bed—his knowledge of human anatomy being quite limited with how best to kill them—but what could be more natural than learning how to please one another together? No. It was far too soon. Wasn't it?

_Of course._

Forcing himself to tear his lips away, he rested his forehead against hers, keeping his eyes closed as he struggled to bring the fire raging within him back under control. Jasmine whimpered, the pleading sound nearly undoing him. She tugged at him, leaning further into him, putting pressure in sensitive places, making it extremely difficult to think.

He groaned, bringing his hand from her waist to cup her face and opened his eyes. "Siha," he said, his voice coming out in a croak. "Please …." He caressed her cheek. "We shouldn't … I don't think …" He huffed, dismayed by his own lack of eloquence. " … there's only so much I can endure."

She chuckled, her chest rising and falling with panting breaths. Closing her eyes, she nodded her head against his before opening them again and tilting her head back to meet his gaze. "Okay." She pulled one of her hands from his neck to clasp his wrist, keeping his hand against her face. Taking a deep breath, she nodded once more. "Okay. Just give me a second?" She bit her lip, pushing her eyebrows up.

"Of course." He brushed his thumb across her cheek, tugging her lip free from her teeth, pulling a smile from her.

* * *

Jasmine laid her head on his shoulder, tucking her arms down between them and took a moment in his arms, soaking in his warmth before letting him go. Trailing her fingers over his chest as she stepped back, she glanced down at the three puckered, still healing, pale green scars cutting across his scales. The sight sucked the heat right out of her, stamping down the shameless ache of need between her legs.

She fought back the flash of panic, a senseless artifact from the night he nearly died in her arms, and sat down on the edge of the bed, putting his abdomen at eye level. Decidedly keeping her eyes above his waist—if he said he wasn't ready, he meant it; despite the, still considerable, bulge in his pants—she tugged at his hips until he stepped a little closer. She ran her fingers over the sleek scars, the lines now void of scales, but also any sign of infection as far as she saw. The wounds, completely closed, appeared to be healing as they should.

It struck her she never before thought a scar looked beautiful, but those scars did. She'd gotten to him in time, and _he lived_. She looked up, meeting his gaze. "Are you still in pain?"

"No, siha," he said, his voice still hoarse as he lifted a hand to her face. "The memories are … unpleasant, but I find they're coming less frequently." He trailed his fingertips over her cheekbone before sweeping them down along her jaw.

Grimacing, she sighed. "And here I am being an ass by reminding you. Sorry."

Thane chuckled, holding his hand out to her, pulling her back to her feet when she accepted. "I didn't think there'd ever be anyone to worry about me again." His hands settled on her waist. "It's endearing. I didn't realize it was something I missed. You needn't ever apologize for being concerned for me."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, just one, quick peck before resting her forehead against his again. She took a deep breath and let it out slow, before running her hands down his chest. "Mmm. If I'm expected to behave myself, maybe the bedroom's not the best place for us right now." She took a step back, easing herself from his embrace and picking his vest up from the bed. Letting the leather garment dangle from her fingers, she held it out to him, flashing him a sly grin. "And maybe you should put this on."

Thane's lips twitched, and he let out a soft chuckle. He brushed the back of his thumb over his brow, taking the vest from her. She picked up her own jacket from the floor, moving back to the door, leaning against the frame as she watched him slide the vest on, his nimble fingers making short work of the zipper and buckles. When finished, he looked up, meeting her gaze, the light cutting through to show her a glimpse of tranquil green eyes.

"If you have time, I'll make us _cinuela_." He moved toward the door, stopping in front of her, his eyes moving back and forth as he studied her.

"Sounds wonderful," she said, turning to step out of the room and out of his way.

* * *

He smiled, reaching out to let his fingers brush the small of her back as he moved past her, fighting the temptation to pull her back into his arms. Turning on the lights as he went, he made his way to the kitchen, glancing over his shoulder every few seconds as if she might disappear if he didn't keep checking. She draped her jacket over the back of a chair, pulling it out before sitting down to watch him. He put on a pot of water before moving to the cabinets, pulling down first the canister of tea leaves and then the tea pot and cups.

"Your security is lacking," she said.

Thane looked up, smiling at her narrow-eyed glare. "I didn't want you to feel unwelcomed."

She snorted, leaning back in her chair. "So, how'd I mess up?"

He tilted his head to the side. "What do you mean?"

"How'd you know?" She quirked an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Ah." Moving to the table, he leaned over the back of a chair across from her. "Unfortunately, your cloaking device doesn't mask you completely. Not from drell, at least. Likely not from hanar, either."

"You still saw me?" Jasmine lifted her arm, looking down at the band on her wrist, running her fingers over the tactical cloak.

Pulling out the chair, he sat, more than happy to distract his mind from thoughts of the taste of her tongue in his mouth. "Not exactly, no. Drell are able to detect heat sources. In a crowd, it's likely I wouldn't have noticed, but somewhere otherwise empty …." He gestured at the apartment around them.

"My body heat stood out." Pursing her lips, she sucked her teeth. "The hanar, too?"

"No, humans emit small levels of bioluminescence." He waved his hand. "Although it did mask the majority, some seemed to—I suppose you'd say—leak through as you moved. It's likely those who developed the cloak considered the bioluminescence but haven't mastered hiding it completely." Hearing the water start to boil, he stood again, moving back to the stove to measure out the _cinuela_ , adding it to the water. "There is a medical procedure some drell have—I myself had it done—it helps us see the higher frequency levels of the hanar other species aren't able to detect. But any species would be able to see the slight distortion the cloak creates around you if observant enough."

Jasmine huffed. "Damn. Well, still better than nothing I guess."

"Indeed." He watched the color of the water change as the leaves softened, releasing their flavor. "Will Leon be looking for you?"

"Not for awhile. He left to stake out one of our targets, Amarala Myrasan." She hummed a little. "Her routine changed unexpectedly."

He glanced at her. "Do you think they've reason to suspect you?"

"I don't think so, but he's her problem at the moment, not mine." She smirked. "So, have you heard anymore about Kolyat?"

_Kolyat. Will I ever get used to hearing someone else speak his name?_

Thane turned off the heat, leaving the tea to steep and joined her at the table again. "Indeed, I have." It warmed his heart to watch her face light up, hope dancing in her eyes for his sake. "I still haven't spoken with him, but Rone is working to ease him into the idea. I received a picture of Kolyat before I left the Citadel; quite the pleasant surprise." He looked down at his hands, turning his palms up and rubbing his fingertips together absently as the image of his son resurfaced in his mind. "I wanted so badly to be able to share it with you, but you already left and it'd be unwise for me to hold on to."

"I would've loved to have seen him, but I understand completely." She reached across the table, rubbing his bare forearm before pulling her hand back.

He met her gaze again, beaming with pride. "He's already changed so much, I barely recognized him. He's coming into his maturity, and I'm quite certain he'll one day leave me in his shadow." Propping his elbows on the table, he clasped his hands. "He's … magnificent."

Jasmine grinned, leaning forward to rest her chin on her palm. "You look so happy."

"I am," he said, dipping his head as he reached across the table, holding his hand out to her, "and I have you to thank."

She snorted, but met him halfway, putting her hand in his. "All I did was yell at you."

"No, siha, you've done far more than you think." He held her gaze, simply enjoying the moment.

"Okay, so I stalked you a little, too." She scraped her teeth over her lip and winked at him.

Thane chuckled as he stood. "Indeed." He made his way back into the kitchen to finish the _cinuela_ , pouring it into the teapot, then arranging it on the tray with the cups. Opening another cabinet, he took down the box of chocolates he bought for Jasmine and set them on the tray, too. "Would you prefer to sit in the living room?"

"Uh, yeah." She glanced over her shoulder toward the couch. "If you don't mind."

He picked up the tray. "Not at all." Carrying the tray to the living room, he settled it on the coffee table.

Jasmine followed him, sitting on the couch sideways, pulling a leg up to rest on the cushion, locking her ankle behind her other knee. "Is that …." She leaned forward, picking up the box of chocolates. "My, my. Have you decided to try and bribe me after all?"

Laughing while he poured the tea, he shook his head. "I just thought it'd be nice. I hope I found some you'll enjoy." He sat a cup down on a saucer in front of her. "They're made by asari, but I've seen other humans eat them." Sitting down with his own cup in hand, he watched her as she examined the package.

She opened the box, setting the lid on the table and after a moment of looking them over, chose one and bit into it, chewing slowly. Humming in approval, she held the box out to him. Pleased by her reaction, he chose one for himself without bothering to consider the different flavors. Eating the chocolate, he took a moment to savor the creamy outer layer before chewing, finding a thick nougat inside. He sipped from his cup, washing the candy down while Jasmine selected another, setting the box on the couch between them.

Thane took another drink and cleared his throat. "How are things?"

Jasmine blew out a heavy breath before popping a chocolate into her mouth. She tilted her head to the side as she chewed, seeming to consider his question. "Well … I did something that'll probably get me blacklisted at best, if I get caught."

He stilled, his blood running cold. Did she mean him? Did she put herself in danger coming to see him?

"There's something going on with him. I know there is. He picked this huge fight with me the other night, and then took off. Came back in the middle of the night with a broken nose, drunk off his ass. Brought the turian who broke his nose home with him, let the guy sleep on the couch." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "He kept talking about not knowing what he's doing here and saying he needs help, but I couldn't get him to tell me what the hell he meant."

He relaxed a little knowing she didn't mean her coming to see him, but still uneasy with the idea of her being in trouble. "What do you think he meant?"

She shook her head and lifted a shoulder. "I don't know. But I installed software on his omni-tool to gain access."

Blinking in surprise, he lifted his brow ridge. "You're spying on your handler?"

She picked up her tea cup. "Yep." Blowing over the top of her _cinuela_ , she met his gaze, her eyes filled with a curious mix of defiance and doubt.

He hesitated, choosing his words with care. "What have you uncovered?"

She rolled her eyes, waving her hand irritably, as if she could simply shoo away her frustrations. "Aside from the locations of six other Phantoms and their targets—information I'm _definitely_ not supposed to have—nothing."

He didn't know how things worked with the Alliance's Phantom division, but he knew what she just said … an assassin working within the Compact for the Illuminated Primacy who did the same would be considered to have committed a serious offense. Not every drell within the Compact worked as an assassin, but those who did were kept apart after their training. It was imperative for the safety not only of the assassins, but to maintain the secrecy of the Illuminated Primacy.

If someone were found to have information they weren't meant to, they'd spend the remainder of their lives in prison. They'd never be allowed to walk free, if someone captured them or they turned traitor, they held enough knowledge to start wars. Something told him the Alliance wouldn't be so kind, not quite so forgiving, and the thought made his blood run cold with fear for her.

_Arashu, protect her._

"Oh don't look at me like that!" She rubbed her hand over her forehead. "I know it was stupid. God, I don't even know why I'm telling you this. It goes against everything." She picked up another piece of chocolate and sighed. "No offense, but for all I really know … our meeting might not have been a coincidence. This … " she said, waving her hand back and forth between them, the chocolate still pinched between her thumb and finger. She dropped her gaze, her voice coming out a mere whisper when she finished, saying, "This might all be a trick meant to get information from me." She swallowed hard, dropping the chocolate to her saucer.

Pain flared in his chest, stealing his breath. Fighting to keep his composure, Thane settled his teacup down on the saucer, setting it on the coffee table. He moved the box of chocolates to the table as well, before shifting to sit closer to her. "Jasmine." Easing her tea from her hands, he sat it on the table, taking her hands in his. "You don't ever need to tell me anything about your work. If you are concerned, I swear I'll never ask you anything about your work again—not where you are or who your targets might be—all I care about is you, having the privilege of knowing you. I _want_ you in my life, siha, and I haven't wanted _anyone_ in my life since Irikah died."

Her fingers tightened around his, easing the ache in his chest just a little. Leaning forward, she rested her forehead on his shoulder. "I know. I'm sorry. I'm just stressed and being stupid."

Letting go of one of her hands, he cradled the back of her head in his palm, turning his face to breathe in her scent, using it to center himself, steel himself for everything he needed to say. "The day you came to me for help removing the extranet post, you asked if we're friends."

Jasmine snorted, groaning softly, but she didn't speak.

"I told you then we are." Rubbing his thumb over the nape of her neck, he breathed her in again. "You have nothing to fear from me, and if there is ever anything you need, if you ever find yourself in trouble, I insist you come to me. No matter what it is." He pressed his lips to the side of her head. "I admit the word friend is … inadequate. Too simple of a word for what I feel for you, but I meant it, and I will always do whatever I can to aid you."

"Thank you." She shifted against him, fingers clinging to the buckles of his vest. "The same goes for you, you know? If you need anything."

They sat in silence for a moment. He thought about her words, taking comfort in the offer. He never had the opportunity to get close to many people in his life, and even more rarely did someone care enough about him to put themselves at risk for him. Jasmine already risked so much for him, though, how could he ever ask her to risk even more? The day they met, she lied to her employers about him. She followed him into Felton's estate. She took him to the hanar hospital and stayed there with him. Even being with him now, with her handler not far away, meant taking risks.

"Friend didn't exactly cover what I feel, either," she said, breaking the silence.

His heart skipped a beat. Oh, he had no lingering doubts she felt something more for him, but hearing her say it carried so much more weight. "I nearly kissed you that night, in your apartment …." Thane trailed off, remembering what it felt like to be so close to her for the first time, and how easily he'd been dissuaded from giving in to his desires.

"Why didn't you?" She turned her head, her face brushing across his as she nestled into the crook of his neck.

"I—some memories aren't so easily controlled." He swallowed against the knot building in his throat. "Particularly when strong emotions are involved."

Jasmine stilled against him before slowly pulling away, her gaze searching his out. "What did you remember?"

He looked away, needing a moment to find the courage to look her in the eyes while he told her he'd seen his dead wife when he thought about kissing her. Taking a slow, deep breath, he forced his gaze back to hers. "Not what, but who."

Eyes widening, she dropped her hand from his chest, pulling it to her lap but leaving the other in his hand. "Irikah." She pursed her lips and sucked in a breath. "Well that's awkward. Almost as awkward as my shoving my tongue down your throat the same night you told me about her."

Thane chuckled, his shoulders relaxing. "I wouldn't call it awkward." He grinned, looking back at her hand in his. "I've savored reliving that moment every day in your absence … and every night I fall asleep with you in my arms." Looking up, he found her chewing on her lip again, her eyebrows pulled in just a little. He tugged her lip free from her teeth, running his thumb over the delicate, swollen skin. "May I ask you something about that night?"

She nodded, her gaze holding his.

He searched her face as if he might find his answers there and not have to ask her at all, but nothing was ever so simple. "Why were you crying? Did I do something wrong?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. Jasmine put her hand on his, turning to kiss his palm. "You didn't do anything wrong." She folded her fingers around his hand, bringing it down to her lap and pulling the other over, too. Taking a deep breath, she smiled. "I got overwhelmed, is all. My emotions were already running high, and then your venom …." She hesitated, her mouth open, a slight croak escaping her lips. "I couldn't be sure if I kissed you because _I_ wanted to … or if my addiction wanted me to. There's nothing like being a recovered addict to make you doubt your own intentions."

"I see." His heart sank, leaving a cold, empty spot in his chest as he realized his physiology would always be a barrier between them, an obstacle they'd never overcome. "And now?"

She snorted. "Well, I took the supplements before coming over. I'm not high right now, and I still want to kiss you." She grinned, winking at him, squeezing his hands. "I was being stupid. Self-loathing: it's a human specialty."

"Ah. I regret to say, humans aren't the only ones." He shook his head. "I spent these last years since Irikah's death punishing myself. I had terrible dreams that night, after leaving your apartment." He paused, taking a cleansing breath, pushing the memories away, letting himself detach for the moment. He needed to be able to tell Jasmine about the dream without being swept away by the nightmares again. "Dreams of Irikah taunting me from beyond the grave, reminding me I am at fault for her death … for leaving our son."

She winced, her fingers tightening around his. Her lips parted as if to speak, but there was still more he needed to tell her and if he let her speak now, he might not find the strength to continue.

"She told me you'd never …" He paused, considering his words. Love. Irikah said love, but he couldn't repeat that to Jasmine; not now. He refused to presume to know what precisely her heart spoke to her, and as much as he wanted to share with her the depth of his feelings, it hardly felt like the appropriate way to tell her he loved her. " … care for me; you'd learn of her and Kolyat and never forgive me. She said my—she said I'm poison … and I'd kill you, too."

"Oh, Jesus." She brought a hand to her mouth. "That sounds like one hell of a nightmare. But you know it's not true, don't you? Okay, yeah, I got really upset and left when you first told me about Kolyat, but I came back. I came back because I _do_ care about you."

He smiled, his heart warming, pushing back the shadows settling over him while he talked about the night he nearly went to the sea. Just hearing her insist she cared meant everything to him. "And I you." He shook his head. "At the time, however … her words felt real. When I awoke, I took a walk hoping to clear my head. Instead, I ran across a man attacking an asari and chose to intervene." He waved a hand. "She escaped unharmed, but armed with a knife, the man attacked me. I tried to defend myself, of course, but all I saw was Irikah's face, distorted by death; her hand wielded the blade. I was … unsuccessful."

Blinking back tears, Jasmine sniffed. "God, we're both pretty fucked up aren't we? Hopeless."

"Hopeless? No, siha. You didn't just wake me from my battle sleep despite myself, but you have given me hope." He reached out, brushing his fingers over her cheek, wiping away a stray tear. "Given my heart reason to beat, given me back a reason to live. Jasmine, if you'll have me, I am yours."

* * *

She gave him a lopsided grin, scrubbing her hands over her face. "You're so dramatic." Reaching out, she grabbed ahold of his vest, her fingers slipping between softened leather and warm scales as she used it to pull him to her. "Come here." With her heart slamming against her ribs, she pressed her lips to his before pulling away to whisper, "I'll have you."

Thane beamed at her, his smile lighting up his entire face. His hand cupping her face, he tilted her head up before his mouth crushed down on hers, urgent and filled with more passion than she'd ever felt directed at her in her life. It swallowed her whole, seeping down into her pores, wrapping itself around her heart and binding her to him irrevocably. Leaning into him, she returned his kiss with everything she had, letting everything she felt flow back into him.

_Oh God, I love you._

And still she heard a small voice in the back of her head telling her not to; not to love, not to trust. Too late, though. She didn't know exactly when it happened, but there it was, like a blazing beacon flaring to life inside of her, and she couldn't deny it anymore. She loved him, and wanted nothing more than to stay there with him forever, but then he pulled away, leaving her breathless and confused.

She opened her eyes to see him watching her, his brow pulled in tight. She swallowed, the butterflies in her stomach morphing into a knot of writhing snakes. "What's wrong?"

"There's something more I need to tell you, something I should have already told you." His hand slid away from her face, the air chilling her in the absence of his warmth. "Forgive me, I didn't intend to hide it from you, there's just been so much that's happened."

"What is it?" Jasmine licked her lips, pulling up a mask of calm to shield herself with, but instead clinging to it like a life raft. She finally accepted her love for him, given him her heart, and now he was going to rip it from her chest.

"I'm sick, siha." Thane's features shifted, smoothing out, his voice steady despite his words as if he just pulled his own mask into place. "I've suspected for awhile, but the doctors confirmed my illness while in the hospital. My lungs are damaged. It's something many drell experience, we've still not adapted to living in more humid environments … if not treated, it will likely develop into a fatal disease called Kepral's Syndrome, for which there is no cure."

_Fatal._

Jasmine felt cold and strangely, completely calm.

_He said fatal._

She turned, dropping her foot to the floor and leaning back against the couch. She knew the cushions had to be there—something stopped her collapse—but she didn't feel them. Some distant part of her mind told her she'd felt this before, once long ago when she found her mother dead in a pool of her own blood on the bathroom floor. The EMT and doctors called it shock. She saw him reach out for her in her peripherals, but he didn't make contact, letting his hand drop to his lap instead.

"What treatments will be required will depend on how much damage has already been done, exactly. The hospital on the Citadel didn't have the equipment necessary to do complete scans." He waved his hand, gesturing at nothing in particular. "Few drell pass through the Citadel."

She turned her head to look at him, emotions creeping back in around the edges of her consciousness, leaving her cold and deflated. Wrapping her arms around herself, she rubbed her arms, trying to work some warmth back into herself. "They can't help you there either, then?"

He shook his head. "No. If I'm to receive treatment … I'll need to return to Kahje."

Her eyebrows twitched, her hands stilling. "If?"

"I will go, siha. You have my word. I only wanted a little more time with you before." Thane smiled, a sad, pleading lift of the corners of his mouth. "If you'll still have me."

Jasmine sighed, scooting closer until she curled up against his side. "Come on, you know you can't get rid of me so easily."


	22. Mailo T'Erus

**Mailo T'Erus**

" _Leon, you need to call me. We need to talk about dad. It's not fair to leave him like this, you know it isn't. I can't make this decision without you, please don't make me. You should be here, he's your father, too. I need you, Leon. Please call."_

Jasmine read over the message and the attached medical report six times, each time the solid knot of ice in the pit of her stomach growing bigger and bigger. The name associated with the extranet address read Astrid Solomon; the name on the medical report: Jasser Solomon. The politician whose failed assassination attempt landed her on Illium with Leon and a list of targets. And Astrid said Jasser was Leon's father. His goddamn father. How? Leon's last name wasn't Solomon, but that didn't mean much. The Alliance would never put him on this job, not with his father involved. It couldn't be his father.

_Unless they don't know it's his father, and he didn't tell them._ _Or … they_ didn't _put him on the job. Jesus Christ. Oh dear God, please, please, please tell me these hits were sanctioned._

She threw the covers off and jumped from her bed. Pulling on her robe, she slammed her hand against the door's release control. Rushing down the hall to Leon's room, only to stop and pace in front of the closed door, she ran her hands through her hair, pushing it away from her face and pinning it there on top of her head.

_Jesus fuck._

Her jangled nerves felt like fire ants swarming under her skin. She dropped her hands, shaking them at her sides. She took a deep breath. "Shit." Lifting her hand, she knocked on the door.

A moment later, the door slid open. Leon stood there clad in nothing but his pajama bottoms, sleep clouding his eyes. Lifting an arm, he braced his elbow against the doorframe, using his other hand to rub his face. "What's wrong?"

"We need to talk." Jasmine crossed her arms over her chest, pulling her robe tighter around her.

"Now?" He glanced over his shoulder. "Christ, love, it's two in the morning. Can't it wait?"

"No, Leon," she said, shaking her head, "it really can't. Why didn't you tell me Jasser Solomon is your father?"

The corner of his mouth ticked up, and he scoffed. "What makes you think he's my father?"

"Don't bullshit me, Leon. Not now." She adjusted her arms, squaring her shoulders.

Opening his omni-tool, he frowned, his fingers running over the keys. His jaw clenched, his gaze cold and hard when it found hers again. "Are you … are you _spying_ on me? On _me_? Are you fucking kidding me right now, Jasmine?"

"That's not what's important. He's your father, Leon! _Your father_!" Her voice rose despite her best intentions, and she threw her hands up in the air. "Does the Alliance know about this? Why would they send you after the people responsible for trying to kill your _father_? _Did_ they send you?"

Leon took a step forward, moving into the doorway. "Jasmine … calm down. I can explain." He reached out, trying to put his hand on her arm.

She jerked away, glaring at him, dumping every ounce of anger and fear she felt into her gaze. "Don't touch me." Pacing away from him, she shook her head before turning to face him again. "You'd better be able to explain, and you better make it good. I can't _believe_ you brought me here without telling me this."

He pinched the bridge of his nose, groaning, spreading his thumb and fingers out to rub at his eyes. Dropping his hand, he slapped his thigh before gesturing out at the living room. Jasmine snorted, making her way to the kitchen instead. Leon followed her; she felt his gaze on her while she searched the refrigerator, pulling out a bottle of Blue Thessia. She opened a cabinet, pulling down two glasses before carrying everything over to the dining room table.

Sitting down, she poured them both a drink, sliding his glass across the table. "I'm listening."

Leon blew out a loud breath, moving around to the other side of the table. He picked up the glass and took a heavy swallow before pulling out the chair and sitting down. "When they sent me the dossiers … I couldn't tell them, Jasmine. I couldn't. I changed my name when I turned eighteen. I didn't want to be associated with my father, I wanted to make a name for myself. Then when I started the Phantom program, I made sure to keep it that way, to protect my father. So my career choices would never affect his." He took another drink then sat the glass down, propping his elbows on the table to hold his head in his hands. "They don't know he's my father. Sure, you go high enough up the chain and it's in a file somewhere, but it's not common knowledge. Being chosen for the job was chance. Random, lucky, fucking chance."

Jasmine drained her glass, barely letting herself taste the bittersweetness, or feel the burn of the alcohol as it slid down her throat. She poured herself another. "You're too close to this, Leon. You should've told them, and you know it. When they find out—"

"They're not going to find out. And if they do, it's all on me. You don't need to worry about it, it'll be my career on the line, not yours. I'm your handler, I assigned you to help me with the job. You're just following orders." He scoffed, rubbing his hands over his face. "How could I, Jasmine? How could I turn away the opportunity to take down the people who did this to my dad? Could you? Could you really? What if it were Geoffrey?"

Jasmine hissed, sucking in a deep breath and letting it out slow. "For fuck's sake, Leon. You have to know this is going to come back to bite you in the ass. Why am I even here? Why pull me into this shit? You don't _need_ me here."

He sighed, leaning back in his chair, pulling his glass along with him. "But I do, love."

Scoffing, she rolled her eyes. "Like hell. You can do this job on your own, and we both know it."

"Yeah. Yeah, I can." He took a sip before staring down at his glass, his voice low and soft when he said, "I still need you here, Jasmine. Whatever you think of me … however I fucked up … I still need you here." He pursed his lips, a habit she felt fairly certain he picked up from her. "I wanted to tell you. I would've told you, but you weren't as … receptive to me as I'd hoped, and I just didn't know where we stood anymore. I didn't know if it would be a good idea."

Jasmine swallowed, forcing down the knot in her throat right along with the ache in her chest. "You should've told me …."

"Well, you know now." Leon looked up, holding her gaze, tears as real as anything she'd ever seen in his eyes. "They tried to kill him, Jasmine. They … they did kill him, he just isn't dead yet." Tilting his head back, he closed his eyes and swallowed, his adam's apple bobbing up and down in his throat. "He's a good man; he was trying to do the right thing, trying to help people, and they killed him for it." He squeezed his eyes closed, scrubbing at them with his palm before looking at her again. "What are you going to do?"

Jasmine stared at him for a moment before taking a deep breath. She couldn't do it; look him in the eye and tell him she wouldn't help him. Solomon was his father, and it might've been far worse. It wasn't like the Alliance hadn't marked the targets, and it made sense for them to, Solomon being a high profile man and all. And she couldn't honestly say if it _were_ Geoffrey …. "Fuck. Alright. We do this by the book, though. We leave nothing, and I mean nothing, to ever give them a reason to review this job once we're done." She leaned forward, pressing her index finger to the surface of the table. "And so help me God, if your relationship does come to light, you'd better be ready to fight tooth and nail to save my ass."

Leon nodded, leaning forward to set his glass down, resting his hands on the table. "Of course. Of course. I promise, it'll all be on me."

She stood, draining her glass again before carrying it to the kitchen. Gripping the edge of the sink, she hung her head down between her shoulders. She looked up when she heard Leon move, seeing him pick up the bottle of Blue Thessia and his glass before following her to the kitchen.

He put the bottle back in the refrigerator and sat his glass on the counter, leaning against it a half meter away from her. "Thank you, Jasmine. I know it sounds stupid to say, but this really means a lot to me, I won't forget, I swear."

"Yeah." She pushed away from the sink, moving to walk past him before stopping. Looking up at him, she reached out, her fingers hesitating only a second before she put her hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry about your dad."

* * *

Jasmine glanced up from her breakfast, catching Leon's gaze across the table. "Christ, I didn't even know you had a sister. You should call her."

"You'd like Astrid," Leon said, lifting his shoulder and rocking his head side to side. "Mmm. Or maybe hate her." He lifted a forkful of scrambled egg to his mouth, smiling as he chewed, talking around his food. "She's a lot like you. Bossy and hot-headed."

"I'm not hot-headed." She narrowed her eyes, fighting back a smile. "And I'm only bossy because you're such a child."

He washed his eggs down with a gulp of juice and winked at her. "Whatever you need to tell yourself, love."

She snorted, but grinned despite herself. Their talk the night before seemed to have been cathartic for him. He'd gotten up before her and made breakfast, nice and greasy, just the way she liked it. The tight lines in his forehead—brought on from his constant scowl thanks to their big fight—vanished overnight. He seemed relaxed, relieved, even jovial as he set the table; flashing her his award-winning smile.

"It's selfish, I know, but I don't want to talk to her until I can look her in the eye and tell her the people who did this to dad paid for what they did." He pushed his breakfast around with his fork. "I want my dad to know, too, before we let him go."

Her eyebrows twitched. "They know what you do?" She didn't expect it from him, not after how ardently he warned her against letting those close to her know the truth. For most, everyone but Geoffrey to be exact, thought Jasmine got discharged from the Alliance; thought she just wasn't up to snuff. Since then she'd just been galavanting around the galaxy doing whatever small jobs available to support herself. She wasn't sure, but she thought Karin might think she was a spy, which was just a little closer to the truth than what Jasmine liked. Karin never said anything, of course, and she never would.

He shook his head, pausing with his fork halfway to his mouth. "God, no." He frowned, exaggerating it as he pulled his brows down low. "You know me better than that, love. Astrid thinks I left the Alliance to become a mercenary." Dropping his faux-frown, his features relaxed, shifting into something easier, giving her a hint of the man she fell for years ago and not the complete dickhead who picked her up on the Citadel. "I haven't bothered to correct her."

Jasmine snorted, turning her attention back to her plate. "Your dad … he's not suffering, not in pain from what I saw. So … maybe it's not so selfish." She glanced at him, just a quick flicker of her eyes. "I get it, if this gets you closure, then I get it. I never really got closure with my parents."

"Can I ask you something?" he asked, his tone sober and wary.

She stopped eating, laying her fork down on the edge of her plate. "What?"

"If things didn't go the way they did when you were a kid—your parents dying and everything—do you think you still would've enlisted? Still ended up signing on with the Phantoms?" His gaze bore into her, searching her, but for what she didn't know.

"No," she said, unable to keep the sadness from creeping into her voice. "I wanted to be a doctor." She forced a smile on her face. "I wanted to save people, not kill them. But, who knows? How many people actually become what they wanted to be at six? Maybe I'd have ended up being a lawyer. Or a cop. Or just bagging groceries and living in my parent's basement for the rest of my life." Snorting, she picked up her fork again. "Maybe I would've just married someone with loads of credits and never had to work a day in my life."

She looked up to see Leon watching her, an odd sort of smile on his face. "What?"

He smirked, shaking his head. "Nothing, love. So," he said, clearing his throat and opening his omni-tool, "I think we have what we need. RetCorp will be having a staff meeting day after tomorrow. I've looked at the roster, and all of our targets will be there. Same room, same time."

"Yeah, but who else will be there?" Jasmine lifted her fork to her mouth, chewing while she watched him.

He pursed his lips, running his fingers over his omni-tool. "About forty other people. Secretaries, treasurers," he said with a shrug, "it's a staff meeting."

"Exactly. Too many variables. Too many potential witnesses, or people to get caught in the crossfire." She swallowed, taking a drink of her juice.

"Jasmine … we won't get another opportunity like this. With all of them in one location at the same time." He shifted in his chair, leaning forward against the table. "I don't like collateral damage, either, you know that. I wouldn't risk it if I wasn't confident we can pull this off without anyone else getting hurt."

"No." She lifted more scrambled eggs to her mouth.

Leon laughed, arching his eyebrows. "No?"

"It's too risky, and we agreed we need to handle this one with care." She lifted her own eyebrows, daring him to argue.

"Alright." He sighed, leaning back in his chair, running his fingers over his omni-tool again. A three dimensional hologram of RetCorp's blueprints popped up and he pointed at an office on the top floor. "We'll wait until the meeting ends, and start at the top, work our way down. If we go in before the meeting ends, we'll have a better chance of not being seen while we get into the meeting is over, there'll be enough confusion in the halls as people make their way back to their own offices, the elevators will be tied up—it's the next best time to make our move. There's still risk, but if we're going to hit six different locations inside of RetCorp, we need the distraction."

"Do we really need to do this inside of RetCorp, though? We know our targets habits, we know where they live." She lifted her shoulder. "None of them live very far from RetCorp. I don't see any real reason why we can't do this in their homes. Go in at night."

"We've already cased RetCorp, Jasmine. We know what security measures they take, where the cameras are, where the guards are … we haven't really cased their houses." He shook his head. "We'll move quicker with everyone in the same building, and we agreed timing is imperative."

She took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay. We hit RetCorp." She leaned forward, pointing out the offices as she spoke. "Mailo T'Erus, Kesyr Atela, Ren'Shala D'Lar, Falie Janisir, Amarala Myrasan, and Nassia Makio."

* * *

Thane ran his hand down Jasmine's ponytail, pulling a lock of her hair over her shoulder and closer to his nose to inhale the new scent. "Your hair smells different, like mint and something floral."

She chuckled, tugging at the edges of his jacket. "It's not easy to find shampoo and conditioner on Illium. I ran out of what I brought with me and had to go with what I could find." She glanced down, sliding her hands along his ribs, between his vest and jacket. "Now, if you're done sniffing my hair; I skipped lunch to come see you, the least you can do is feed me. I'm starving."

Letting her hair slip through his fingers, he grinned. He hooked a knuckle under her chin, tilting her head up, watching the light dance in her rainforest eyes. "I certainly can't allow you to starve." He brushed his lips against hers; soft, warm, and inviting. It'd be so easy to lose himself in her again, craving the feel of her tongue against his, but he controlled the urge, returning his gaze to hers instead. "What are you in the mood for?"

Jasmine pushed her hands further around him, lowering them to his waist. One hand brushed over and past the sheath of his dagger secured at his back—something that would normally have him moving to strike, but instead he stilled beneath her touch—her other hand raising a little higher to avoid his gun before joining at the low of his back, fingers threading together to pull him closer. She smiled, scraping her teeth over her lip, arching an eyebrow. "You mean besides you?"

He stopped breathing. He didn't mean to, but he did; the thing inside of him that wanted nothing more than to strip her of her clothes and taste every part of her body roaring to life inside of him.

Her smile grew, teasing and cajoling. "Huh. I think I like this reaction even better than the other one." She pulled her arms back, taking his hands in hers and squeezed. "Breathe, Thane. I'm only playing." She let go of one of his hands, turning toward the kitchen, pulling him along behind her. "Let's go raid your refrigerator."

Licking his lips, he swallowed back the urge to tug her back to him and give into his desires. The years spent alone only added fuel to the fire, but he wouldn't let it make decisions for him. "As you wish." He followed her into the kitchen, leaning against the counter to watch her as she began making her selections from the refrigerator, choosing much the same as he offered her the night she showed up at his door, distraught after completing a job exposing her to red sand.

He opened a cabinet, setting out plates for her before filling glasses with fruit infused water from a pitcher he kept in the refrigerator. "I want to ask you … for a favor."

Jasmine glanced up from where she arranged food on the plates, her eyebrow arched in question but remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

Thane put the water pitcher back before turning to her, resting his hand on the small of her back simply because he could and it felt wonderful. "I've learned what it is Nevas is so afraid of at RetCorp; what's keeping her there."

She stopped, abandoning her work on the plates and turned to lean a hip against the counter. "How bad is it?"

He pulled his hand away, tucking them both behind his back. "Beyond the contract she signed when she agreed to employment, they have condemning information about her mother. It seems RetCorp likes to insure their contracts with potential blackmail."

Jasmine's eyebrows twitched. "What do you need me to do?"

"I have an OSD prepared to remove all traces of Nevas' contract and the information they have on her mother, as well as several other employees at random to avoid suspicion being pointed immediately at Nevas. It will give her a chance to relocate." He waved his hand. "It should appear as if their system simply contracted a virus. It only needs to be inserted into their main computer system, and will take less than a minute to do what it needs to do." He held her gaze waving again, finding himself uncomfortable with the idea of asking her for a favor, but pleased she seemed willing to help. "It's nothing I can't handle, but I don't wish to draw any undue attention which might jeopardize your work. Once you've removed your targets, they'll likely boost security and getting in and out of RetCorp undetected will be more difficult."

"She knows you're doing this?" Jasmine raised her eyebrows when Thane dipped his head. "And she's prepared to leave Illium? What'd you tell her?"

"She is, and I only told her I could get rid of the problem if she wanted." He tucked his hands behind his back. "She asked surprisingly few questions, insisting she didn't want to know the details."

Jasmine held out her hand, wiggling her fingers. "Give it to me, if I have the opportunity while I'm in there, I'll take care of it."

"Thank you, siha. I'll get it for you." He smiled, dipping his head.

She grabbed his jacket, pulling him closer before kissing him. She let him go, turning back to the plates. "Of course."

He made his way to his desk where he kept a small safe, requiring a retinal scan, and opened it, retrieving the OSD. He returned to find her setting the table, seating them at the corner where they'd be close, but still facing one another. She glanced up at him, smiling as she sat down. Using her foot to push his chair out, she took the OSD from him when he offered it to her, tucking it away in her jacket hanging over the back of her chair.

Thane sat down, scooting his chair in a little closer and rested his forearms on the table. "How are things? You seem … less tense today."

"Do I?" She raised an eyebrow, lifting her glass to her lips.

He picked up his fork, spearing a piece of _mahata_. "Indeed."

"Hmmm. Well, I figured out what's going on with Leon last night. We talked through some things, and even though I think he's making a mistake, I get it and … and things are going to be alright." She leaned back in her chair, her gaze roaming over him, her lips lifting in a lazy smile. "And, I'm here with you." Chuckling, she gave a bemused shake of her head. "I still can't believe you came to Illium for me. I mean, I know money isn't an issue for you, and it's not like you left a permanent home or career behind, but still."

He smiled, pleased his actions—actions that seemed so necessary to him—impressed her as much as they did. "I missed you. I wanted to see you, to talk to you …" he said, reaching out to trace the path of her radius from just inside her elbow all the way down to her wrist before taking her hand, still amazed she allowed him to do so, "to touch you. Is it really so surprising for me to follow you here?"

"Honestly?" She chuckled, brushing her thumb across the back of his hand. "A little. Maybe it's just because I don't really have the same level of freedom."

"Surely you have some freedom; some say. You were on the Citadel for months, or is it common practice for them to leave you in one location for so long?" He eased his hand from hers, returning to his meal while he awaited her answer.

She snorted and shook her head. "My request to stay on the Citadel was only granted because they happen to have an Alliance training facility I said I wanted to put to use, and Leon knew I'd taken a recent failure very personally." Grinning, she scraped her teeth over her lip. "I won't be able to play the same card again anytime soon, no matter how badly I might want to stick around to stalk some sexy drell who wounded my pride."

Thane grinned, his frills warming. He cleared his throat, picking at his plate. "It really wasn't ever my intention, but I can't deny I'm pleased with the results."

Jasmine swallowed her bite of food, shaking her head. She held up a hand, taking a sip of water. "Uh uh, don't think this," she said, waving her hand back and forth between the two of them, "changes anything. I'm still going to kick your ass."

He laughed, his shoulders shaking with his mirth. "And to think I considered telling you I'd underestimated your skill, and indeed have come to understand in some areas, you already surpass me … but if you insist, I look forward to your attempt."

She propped an elbow on the table, leaning forward to rest her chin on her palm. "Tell me anyway."

"Why should I? You want to 'kick my ass.'" He hid his smirk with his glass.

She rolled her eyes, the corners of her lips twitching. "Because I'm pretty."

He put down his fork, resting his elbows on the table, clasping his hands together in front of him. "Siha, _you_ _are beautiful_. Completely stunning. When I laid eyes on you in the ballroom the other night, you took my breath away." He smiled as the blush spread out over her cheeks. "I underestimated you when we first met, and I have seen your skills grow over the last few months." Shaking his head, he let his smile shift back to a playful smirk. "But you still can't best me."

She laughed, her head tilting back. As much as the sound delighted him, he found he was more interested in knowing what sound she'd make if he ran his tongue over her exposed throat, the memories of her doing the very same thing to him bringing heat to his frills. Her laughter subsided and she returned her attention to him, whatever she saw in that moment gave her pause. Pushing back her chair, she stood.

Curious, he tracked her movements as she approached him, the glint in her eyes stoking the fires inside of him. Jasmine ran her hand over his shoulder, dragging her fingers across his back as she paced around him, stopping behind his chair. He turned to look up at her as she grabbed the back of his chair, pulling it, and him along with it, away from the table. She smiled, running her fingers along his other shoulder as she moved to stand in front of him.

"I don't want to rush you," she said, leaning over him, putting her mouth next to his ear to whisper. "But I can't see you look at me like _that_ and just ignore it." Tracing his jaw with her fingertips, she brought her lips to his. Slow and soft, she ran her tongue over his bottom lip before pulling back to meet his gaze. "So … you'll have to tell me if it gets to be too much."

Heart pounding in his chest, heat coursing through his veins, Thane swallowed. He took her face in his hand, pulling her back to him, his mouth covering hers, his tongue parting her lips with greed. She shifted her weight, moving her legs until she stood over him, her legs pressing against his knees. He wanted to know, needed to know … he pulled his lips away from hers, using his thumb to tilt her chin up, giving him access to her neck. His tongue found her pulse, and she gasped, her breath staying locked inside of her chest a moment before rushing out in a throaty moan.

She rolled her head to the side, her knees bending, bringing her closer to him. He reached out, sliding his hand along her thigh, feeling her pulse quicken beneath his lips as he closed his fingers around her hip, pulling her down to his lap. She started to scoot forward, making her way further up his thighs, but stopped when he tightened his grip, urging her to stay in place, sitting on his knees.

He slid his hand back, cradling her head, his thumb brushing back and forth along her jaw as he trailed his tongue over her neck. Stopping at the base of her throat, he pressed his lips to the dip in her skin—struggling to ignore the part of his brain supplying the name suprasternal notch. A place where, if he struck, he'd damage her trachea, rendering her unconscious, or if hit hard enough, cause her to die by asphyxiation.

She hummed in approval, silencing the voice more effectively than his own attempts. She reached behind her; a moment later her hair fell free, enveloping his hand and filling the air around them with its new scent. The pleasing aroma of mint and flowers wasn't the smell he'd come to associate with his siha, but it'd forever be etched into his mind along with the taste of ocean on her smooth skin, the sound of her moans, and the feel of her fingers, kneading his neck and shoulder.

Her hand covered his, and she tugged. He let her move his hand, guiding it to the base of her skull, hair sliding through his fingers like strands of silk. Pushing in on his fingertips, she urged them to curl in, capturing her hair in his fist.

"Tighter." She squeezed his hand, her voice coming out barely above a whisper, sounding dry and strained as she shared a new part of herself with him … teaching him, and it filled him with an eagerness to learn.

With as much control as he could manage, he slowly tightened his fist, letting his fingers pull her hair taut until she groaned with pleasure. He willed his muscles to remember the exact amount of pressure he needed to elicit the sound from her. She let go of his hand, moving hers to the back of his head, weaving her fingers through his crest. Tugging at him, until he lifted his face from her neck, she covered his mouth, her tongue diving in to meet his.

Oh, sweet Arashu, he loved her and he wanted her. He wanted all of her, but he'd wait. He needed to wait, he needed to be sure; not sure he loved her, because he had no doubts, but sure that when the time came … it wouldn't be Irikah's face he saw when he made love to Jasmine. What would it do to her? What would it do to him?

She broke the kiss, pulling away from him, and he loosened his grip on her hair. Her chest heaved, her gaze locked on his. Bringing her hand around to cup his face, her fingers brushed over his cheek. "You alright?"

He smiled, running his fingers through her hair, brushing it away from her face. "I … I love you, Jasmine."

Her fingers stopped moving, and she grew very, very still. She didn't speak … didn't breathe. His heart thumped against his ribs, the ache flaring to life in his chest. Smile fading, he brushed back her hair again.

"Siha, I—"

"I love you, too." She took a deep, shuddering breath, sweeping her thumb down over his cheek before crushing her lips to his once more.


	23. Nassia Makio

**Nassia Makio**

Jasmine studied the asari's face, taking in her pale blue complexion, speckles of lavender creeping in over her crest. Nassia Makio wore a stripe of violet just under her lower lip, trailing down her chin. The spark in her eyes and the smile on her face made her look so kind; making it much more difficult for Jasmine to imagine putting a bullet in her head. But she forced herself to do exactly that, to imagine the kill over and over again until she knew there'd be no hesitation. She'd see Makio's face, she'd line up her shot, and she'd pull the trigger without a second thought.

_He said he loves me. That's … that's huge. How is sex rushing things, but not 'I love you'?_

Makio, Janisir, and D'Lar—she insisted on D'Lar—would be her targets while Leon focused on the other three. Makio would be first, though. Her office was located at the top, right next to Atela's. Jasmine got only a passing glimpse at the office during their tour of the facility, but it gave her all she needed. She knew where the location of the door in relation to the asari's desk, and she knew there were windows—both exterior and interior.

_I told him I love him, too. Jesus Christ, this is happening really fast. I mean … love, really? Okay, yeah, I've felt it and … but to be saying it to each other already. That's big. Isn't it? Fuck what do I know? All I have to go on for relationships is Leon, and if he's my standard …._

Her omni-tool pinged, vibrating against her wrist and drawing her from her kill contemplations—and the thoughts of Thane insisting on intruding in on her work. Jasmine closed the dossier and glanced at the incoming call, a smile spreading across her face when she recognized Rift's number. Looking over her shoulder at Leon, finding him still sitting on the couch lost in his own work, she closed her laptop and took it with her to her room.

With the door closed and locked behind her, she answered the call, her smile growing when she saw Rift's face pop up on her screen. She found it funny how the face of one little boy could so easily chase all of her troubles away, at least for the time being. "Hey, kiddo. What's up?" She sat down on her bed, throwing her feet up and leaning back against her pillows, starting to relax even with Leon in the next room.

"Hi, Jasmine." The corners of his mouth drooped, and she thought she might see the makings of tears in his eyes.

Instantly, her muscles tensed, adrenaline dumping into her system as she sat back up on the edge of the bed, her mind already rushing through the possibilities. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"I got grounded." He sniffed, tears definitely welling up in his eyes. "It's not fair!"

Letting out a heavy breath, she leaned back against the pillows again, both disturbed and amazed by the tumult of emotions Rift so easily pulled from her. "Why'd you get grounded?"

Rift rubbed at his eyes. "Because I got in a fight."

"How'd that happen?" Jasmine arched an eyebrow, unsure of how a normal person would respond to such news from a child. She tried to think back to her own childhood. Did she get into fights before her father left and her mother died? She sure as hell did out on the streets, but she didn't exactly have a respectable role model around to frown at her and shake their finger in her face.

He huffed, his face screwing up as more tears rolled down his cheeks. "I hit a boy because he was being mean to Sammy."

_Sammy? Wow, is Samantha going by Sammy now? How long has it been since I've talked to the girls? Two years? Three? God I suck._

"What was he doing to Sammy?" Her eyebrows climbed further up her face, her jaw starting to tighten as she thought about little Samantha being bullied.

"He called her a baby because she didn't want to climb the tree, and then he said everyone in the Williams family are cowards. Sammy started crying, so I hit him." Rift sniffed, rubbing his eyes again. "Mom saw me do it and came outside, she was angry and made me and Sammy come inside. When Dad got home, she told him about it, and he said I'm grounded for a week. I can't go outside and play with any of my friends, and I can't watch any vids or play any games or _anything_."

Jasmine swelled with pride, despite herself. She knew she shouldn't condone violence, but she had to admit she liked knowing the little guy stood up for his new big sister. It took everything she had not to grin at him like an idiot. She took a deep breath, willing her voice to sound sympathetic but not approving. "Did he tell you why you're grounded?"

The red-faced little boy nodded, his face starting to screw up again, his voice high and whiny when he responded, "Because we're not supposed to ever hit first. We only use force when it's being used against us or someone else."

Jasmine closed her eyes, nodding her head, remembering a time when Geoffrey used deadly force to protect her. Opening her eyes again, she gave him a soft smile. "You know that dad of yours is a smart man, and he's trying to make sure you grow up to be a smart man, too."

There was a knock at her door, Leon's voice carrying through the metal. "Can I come in, love?"

"Hold on a second, Rift, okay? And uh, don't say anything about Sere Krios, alright?" she all but whispered at the screen.

Rift sniffled, nodding his head. She left the bed, and opened the door, keeping her arm up so her omni-tool screen stayed facing her.

Leon stood in the doorway, his arm lifted up against the frame. "I'm going to go grab lunch, you want anything?" His gaze shifted down to her omni-tool, his eyebrows twitching. "Who're you talking to?"

Jasmine glanced down at Rift, his tears drying on his cheeks as curiosity filled his eyes. Her gaze shifted back up to Leon before drifting to Rift again. She bit her lip, dread churning in the pit of her stomach as she turned her attention to the bulk of a man crowding her doorway. "Uh, it's Rift."

"Rift?" He flashed her a toothy grin. " _The_ Rift?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, _the_ Rift." Fighting back the urge to shove Leon from her room, banishing him from her personal space and any realm of possibility he might speak to Rift, she tried to change the subject. "Where are you going for lunch?"

"Well, introduce me to him." Leon stepped over the threshold, watching her expectantly.

She could refuse, of course. Just because he was her handler didn't mean he had any right to her personal life, but they'd made so much progress the last couple of days. Refusing him what ought to be a simple request would only add more tension to their already delicate friendship. And truth be told, no Phantom wanted to deal with a pissed off handler; not unless they wanted the shittiest jobs in the worst possible corners of the galaxy.

"Who is it, Jasmine?" Rift asked, drawing her attention back to him.

Shrugging off the slimy feeling creeping its way down her spine, she groaned. Jasmine turned around, letting Leon see her omni-tool's screen, and the face of the precious little boy it held. "Rift, this is Leon. He's … my boss. Leon, this is Rift, Geoffrey's son."

"He's your boss? So he's in the Alliance, too?" The boy's eyes lit up with excitement.

She winced, glancing over her shoulder at Leon. Yep, she'd get an ear full later.

"Sorry, Jasmine. I forgot it's a secret."

"Oh, it's alright, Rift. It's not a secret from me, is it Jasmine?" He met her gaze, the reproach clear in his eyes. Keeping an easy smile on his face, he looked back at the screen. "Yes, I'm in the Alliance, too."

"Rift wants to join the Alliance when he grows up. He wants to be a pilot." She grinned at the screen, pushing thoughts of Leon's disapproval from her mind.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes, sir." Rift nodded his head, beaming at Leon.

"Do you know what kind of ship you want to pilot?" Leon came closer, his body heat warming Jasmine's back, even while leaving her feeling cold inside.

He bounced a little, the band on the poster on the wall behind him seeming to dance with the motion. "I wanna pilot the SSV Agincourt!"

"The Agincourt? She's a fantastic frigate, her crew did good work during the Skyllian Blitz. She's a great choice."

Rift's smile grew, if that were even possible, and he nodded his head. "One day, she'll be mine!"

Leon laughed, his hand coming down on Jasmine's shoulder, making her flinch. "I bet she will, kid. I bet she will. Well, Rift, my stomach's trying to eat itself, so I better go. It's nice meeting you."

"Bye!"

Jasmine stepped away from Leon, shrugging off his hand as she made her way back to her bed before glancing at him, forcing a smile on her face to ease the sting. "Just grab me whatever. You know what I eat."

* * *

"Where will you go, if you don't mind my asking?" Thane folded his hands on the table and watched Nevas as she looked over the menu.

She smiled glancing up at him. "I'm going home, back to Thessia; for the first time in forty years. Have you been?"

"No, but I hear it's a lovely place." It was a lie, of course. He'd been to Thessia a few times hunting his targets, both while working for the Compact and on his own. Saman, however, didn't have reason to go to Thessia. He wondered, for a moment, how Nevas would react if he told her the truth about who he was—what he did. He wouldn't, of course, it'd be a reckless move, but interesting to think about.

"It is, the planet itself is beautiful, but it's the people there I miss. They're more," she said, tilting her head to the side, "what they seem to be on the outside. And it's nice to be in a place where I can relax and be myself, too. I can't here. I have to always be aware that those around me are only interested in what they can get from me, and in order to protect myself, I have to constantly present the façade I've spent years constructing."

"Indeed." He reached over the table to take his turn at the menu kiosk when Nevas finished. "From what you've said, and what I've seen, I suppose spending extended periods of time on Illium would swiftly become tiresome."

It wasn't lost on him how closely her words tied into his own thoughts. Nevas had many years on him, but still so young by her people's standards, he wondered how much time she spent pretending. He understood all too well what it felt like living his life behind masks, rarely if ever able to simply _be_ with someone. He'd known others who'd spent so much of their lives separated from who they really were, until they completely lost touch, no longer even knowing themselves. It was something he used to look forward to, if he were being completely honest with himself, but now … now he had Jasmine. He loved her, and she loved him. Him, not some alias he devised to present to the public, but Thane Krios.

"What are you grinning about?" Nevas asked, drawing him out of his own head.

He glanced up from the menu and chuckled. "Am I?"

Her lips pressed, thinning out into a tight line, but still humor danced in her eyes. "Don't play coy, Saman."

He laughed, turning his attention back to the menu as he said, "Perhaps I'm just pleased to know you will soon be someplace where you will be safe and comfortable."

Nevas leaned back in her chair, draping her arms over the sides. "Why are you helping me?" The suspicion in her voice sounded very real.

He looked up, meeting her gaze and blinked. "You've been very kind to me, why wouldn't I help you given the chance?"

"I think …" She hesitated, picking at her dress, readjusting it over her knee. "I think there's more to you than meets the eye, Saman."

Thane forced himself to chuckle and turn his attention back to the menu, making his selections. "The same can be said for everyone, wouldn't you say?"

She watched him for a moment, a slow smile finally coming to her face as she leaned forward again. "I suppose so."

* * *

"There's something I should tell you." Thane clasped his hands together, resting his fingers against his lips while he thought about exactly what to tell Rone. He knew Rone should know of his intentions to return to Kahje for a time, but he doubted if he should tell his brother-in-law why.

Rone blinked, shifting forward in his chair. "I'm listening."

"I will be returning to Kahje soon. I'm not sure precisely when, or how long I will be there, but I thought it only fair to tell you." He glanced down at the keyboard before meeting Rone's gaze once more. "I give you my word I won't interfere in any way with Kolyat while I'm there. I respect your decisions, and I don't wish to challenge you, or upset him. I wouldn't even think of coming to Kahje, but … it's important I do."

"I see. I thank you for telling me, and I hope all is well." Rone folded his hands on the table.

"I—I'm not yet certain, but I believe it will be." Thane realized he spoke the truth. For the first time in a very long time, he did believe all would be well.

"Forgive me for being so forward, Brother, but I must ask, will you be coming to Kahje on business?" Rone searched Thane's face, the light cutting through Rone's ocular scales, giving view to pale green irises.

' _Away on business,' she'd tell them. I was always 'away on business'._

Thane's breath caught in his throat, but he recovered quickly enough to raise his brow ridge and keep his voice neutral. "No, I have no business on Kahje, this is a personal matter."

Rone took a deep breath, dipping his head as he sat back in his chair. "My apologies, I only ask for Kolyat's safety, I am sure you understand."

Thane blinked and then blinked again, weighing Rone's words, mulling them over in his mind until the truth became unmistakable. "She told you." It wasn't a question, and he supposed some part of him already knew. How could she not? Rone's her brother, her family, and they were always close. She would've needed someone to turn to, someone to talk to in the long stretches of Thane's absence.

_He knows the true depths of my guilt, of how I failed her. He knows …._

Rone's face stilled, his gaze steady and resolute. "I have kept my sister's secrets for many years, Thane, and I will continue to carry them with me until I go to the sea."

He bowed his head, tears biting and hot in the corners of his eyes. Pain, sharp and demanding churned in his chest. He pressed his hand to his sternum and cleared his throat, blinking back the tears. Forcing himself to meet his brother's gaze, he asked, "Does my son know?"

Rone shook his head. "I have not spoken to anyone else. If he knows by other means, he has not said. I would not say anything to you now, but I need to be certain he is safe; always."

Thane swallowed and cleared his throat again, rubbing at the pain in his chest. "I spent some time in the hospital on the Citadel—with the hanar—they found I have the early stages of Kepral's Syndrome."

Rone leaned forward again, resting his elbows on the table, clasping his hands in front of his face, his expression as solemn as his voice. "This saddens me to hear … but it also leaves me confused."

"The doctors said my condition is not yet so bad to warrant a classification of Kepral's, and there are treatments available on Kahje to slow if not completely halt the progression." Thane waved his hand at nothing in particular, only barely conscious of wanting to wave away Rone's sympathy; sympathy he had no right to accept. "It's why I'm coming to Kahje."

Rone smiled, looking so much like his sister in that moment it only made the pain in Thane's chest worsen. "This is fantastic news, you are quite lucky to have learned of your condition when—"

The door opened behind him, and Rone turned to look over his shoulder.

"Uncle Rone, may I—"

_Kolyat._

The young drell froze, seemingly paralyzed in the doorway, his eyes locked onto Thane's. Time stood still. Everything but Kolyat ceased to exist.

_My son. My beautiful child._

"Kolyat." The word rushed from Thane's mouth, sounding like nothing less than a prayer, bringing time crashing back down around him.

Rone glanced back at the screen before turning to look at Kolyat, holding his hand out to the boy. Dropping his hand from the door, Kolyat took one hesitant step forward. Thane's heart slammed in his chest, the pain from moments before completely vanished, replaced only with overwhelming hope leaving him feeling weightless.

Kolyat took another step, and then another. Tucking his hands behind his back and squaring his shoulders, he crossed the floor to stand next to his uncle, his eyes never leaving the screen. "Hello, Father."

"Hello, Kolyat." Thane licked his lips, working up saliva in the desert of his mouth. "It's so good to see you. I—you look well, you've … you've grown so much." His throat spasmed, aching with his yearning as tears of joy welled up in his eyes. He didn't bother fighting them, nor did he brush them away when they began spilling down his cheeks.

"I am well," Kolyat said, his tone clipped and void of any sign that he reciprocated his father's feelings. "Excuse me, Father." He turned to his uncle, dismissing Thane completely. "Uncle Rone, may I go play with Quinlo?"

_Ah. Of course._

Thane swiped the tears away from his eyes and took a steadying breath.

_I deserve no more. This much has been a gift, and I will cherish it always._

Rone started to turn from Kolyat, his gaze drifting toward Thane but never quite making contact before turning back to the child. "Have you finished your studies for the evening?"

"Yes, Uncle." The young drell kept his gaze resolutely locked on Rone.

"Then you may go." Rone nodded his head in acquiescence. "Ask your aunt what time dinner will be ready, and be sure you are home in time to eat."

Kolyat dipped his head. "Thank you, Uncle."

Rone patted his shoulder, giving it a little squeeze. "You are welcome, Kolyat."

He turned, walking away. Stopping next to the door, he glanced over his shoulder, turning back to face the screen but not raising his eyes to look at Thane. "Goodbye, Father."

Thane lifted his hand, fighting back the urge to touch his image on the screen before he disappeared again. "Goodbye, my son."

* * *

Jasmine took him by the hand, leading him to the couch. She pulled Thane down with her as she sat before moving in against his side, resting her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her, welcoming her closer. She lifted her hand to his chest, running her fingers over the exposed scales above his vest. He hummed, bringing a smile to her face as he ran his hand up and down her arm.

"He acknowledged you, though." She dropped her hand from his scales, tucking it between the two of them as she snuggled in closer instead. It was late, and her eyelids felt heavy, but his warmth called to her, keeping her there with him long past when she should've returned to her own apartment to sleep. "That's a good start."

"Indeed, it's more than I hoped for so soon."

She fought back a yawn, knowing he'd encourage her to go home and sleep if he knew how tired she really felt. "It's good you told Rone, about being sick and going to Kahje."

"I almost didn't."

Jasmine tilted her head back to look at him. "How come?"

"I was afraid he'd think I only wished to see Kolyat because I'm sick. I—I didn't want him to think my motives were so selfish." Thane took a deep breath and let it out slow, his fingers idly tracing random patterns on her arm. "And I didn't want his pity; for him to feel compelled to push Kolyat because of my illness."

She watched his eyes, cast completely in shadow from her angle. She'd been slowly learning to read the dark orbs, though, and just then she could see his torn pride. "What changed your mind?"

He pulled away enough to turn his head and meet her gaze. "He said something that made me realize he knows I'm an assassin—he was afraid I'd be bringing trouble to Kahje. I wanted to assure him this wouldn't be the case."

Her eyebrows twitched, thinking the conversation must've taken a completely unexpected turn. No wonder he'd seemed so dazed when she showed up; it certainly painted Rone taking in Kolyat in a new light. "Are you okay … with him knowing?"

Thane took another deep breath and nodded his head. "I am. It surprises me, but I am. Irikah trusted him, and he was there for her when she needed him … when I failed to be. I'm grateful to him." He lifted his hand, running the lock of hair draped over her shoulder through his fingers. "He swears he's never spoken to anyone else about it, and he never will. I believe him. Rone is an honest man, he always has been, and now Kolyat's safety is his priority."

They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, Thane running her hair through his fingers while she thought about what it must've felt like for him to see his son, even if only for moment. He shifted beside her, working his arm down behind her until he slid his hand under her thigh, his other hand coming around to grip her waist. She looked up at him just as he lifted her, as if she weighed nothing, and pulled her over to sit sideways on his lap, her back resting against the arm of the couch.

Jasmine laughed, settling into the new position. "Hi." It amazed her how he'd gone from tensing over the slightest touch to making as much physical contact with her as possible—well, nearly as much as possible—whenever they were together. She enjoyed it, a part of her knowing it wouldn't last; the novelty would wear off eventually and he'd want his personal space back.

"Hello." Smiling, he reached out, running his fingers over her temple and down along her jaw. "How was your day, siha?"

"Mmmm. It's been alright. Rift called this afternoon." Jasmine pursed her lips. "He's upset because he got grounded." She grinned, still feeling her chest swell with pride when she thought about him. She knew she ought not hope Rift hurt the boy, but she kind of did. "The injustice of it all broke his little heart." She chuckled when Thane frowned at her. "He hit another kid for being mean to his sister. The kid called her a baby, and then insulted the Williams' name, calling them all cowards." She shrugged. "He defended his sister and the rest of his new family, maybe I'm a little proud."

Thane's brow pulled down. "Cowards?"

Jasmine chewed on her lip and nodded her head. "Geoffrey's uncle is _the_ General Williams."

"Ah. The surrender of Shanxi." His brow ridges pulled in even further, incredulity seeping into his voice when he asked, "Children tease Geoffrey's family over his uncle's actions in the war?"

She snorted. "Not just children, sadly."

"I don't understand. Everything I've heard about Shanxi and the First Contact War seems to indicate General Williams held Shanxi as long as he could; pressing the battle would've only resulted in losing everyone." Wrapping his arm around her waist, he held onto her hip. "He saved his people with his decision. Why is this a shameful thing?"

"Because, ironically, we're a lot more like turians than what other races realize." She leaned in closer, draping her arm around his shoulders. "We're a prideful people, who don't like to lose, no matter the cost." She sniffed, bringing her other hand up to splay her fingers out across her chest. "Not me, of course. I'm completely humble." She grinned when he laughed, jostling her on his lap.

"Of course." He hooked her chin with a knuckle, pulling her face to his. "The most humble creature I've ever known." He pressed his lips to hers, a gentle caress of a kiss before breaking away again. "I wish you could come to Kahje with me. I'm going to miss this; miss you. I've had such little time with you."

She sighed, cupping his face, brushing her thumb over his cheek. "Thane, I …."

"I know, siha." He tightened his grip on her. "I know you must go where they send you, and I'm not asking you to abandon your responsibilities. Just know I'll miss you, and I'll wish you were there with me. As soon as I'm able, I'll join you. Wherever you are, if you want me to."

She smirked. "Is this what it's going to be like for us? Chasing each other across the galaxy in between jobs?"

He dropped his gaze from hers, his shoulder sagging beneath her hand.

"Hey." She waited for him to look at her before continuing. "Chase me, Thane. Chase me for as long as it makes you happy, and I'll do the same. This life might not be ideal for a relationship, and I kind of suck at them, but I want this."

His smile returned, soft and hopeful. "As do I."

"Good. Because you told me you love me." She tugged at a buckle on his vest. "That's sort of a big deal."

"Indeed." His smile grew, his gaze searching her face. "And you said you love me, too."

"I did, didn't I?" She pursed her lips and nodded. "That's a pretty big deal, too."

"I think it might be." He chuckled, giving her hip a little squeeze.

"So, you'll go to Kahje and let the doctors do their thing. You'll get better, and we'll find a way to make this work. Okay?" She arched her eyebrows in question, wanting desperately for him to agree and for everything to just be simple for once.

He nodded, bringing his hand to her face to pull her back to him. He kissed her and then rested his forehead against hers. "Thank you, siha."

Leaning back, she found his gaze and held it with her own. "For what?"

The low light caught in his eyes, showing her the emerald green she'd come to love. His voice sounded so raw when he spoke, it nearly broke her heart. "For waking me from my battle sleep, and bringing light back into my life."

She forced a smile on her face, hoping to lighten the mood again. "Honestly, I don't know how you survived so long without me."

Thane chuckled and shook his head. "Your humbleness astounds me."

Leaning her side against his chest, she laid her head on his shoulder. "I know, I amaze myself with it all the time." She took his hand in her own when he moved it from her hip to her knee. Taking a moment to figure out how best to lace her fingers with his, she left the humor behind but kept her tone light. "I'm glad we found each other, and you let me get close enough to make you feel something again." She studied their hands, her middle finger resting atop her ring finger, to accommodate his webbing. "Is this uncomfortable for you?" She bent her wrist, moving their hands to highlight what she meant.

"Not at all."

She tilted her head back to look at him. "Would you tell me if it were?"

He smirked, rubbing his thumb along her hand. "Of course."

"Liar." She snorted, turning her attention back to their hands.

Chuckling, just a soft rumble in his chest she felt more than heard, he lifted their entwined hands. "It's … unfamiliar, but not uncomfortable. I'm pleased to hold your hand, however you prefer."

She pulled his hand to her, kissing his knuckle before resting their hands against her chest. The silence stretched between them, and she was content to let it for few moments, basking in the feel of being so close to him. She wished they had more time together, too, but with plans to take out her targets the next day, it'd probably only be a couple of days before she'd be leaving Illium to go—God only knew where—and he'd be off to Kahje.

She cleared her throat. "We'll be moving on RetCorp tomorrow."

He turned his head, his lips pressing against her forehead. "You don't sound happy about this."

"I don't know how long I'll be here after the job's done." She swallowed and licked her lips. "I don't think Leon's going to want to stick around here for very long. These targets were chosen because they attempted to assassinate an important man … I found out he's Leon's father." She didn't look up when he shifted next to her, even though she could tell he was trying to get a better look at her, trying to meet her gaze. "The Alliance doesn't know this, though. So … we need to do the job cleanly and go. So they don't have a reason to ask questions after."

When he finally spoke, voice heavy with concern, his words came with weighted hesitancy. "And if they do … ask questions?"

Jasmine sighed, using her thumb to trace the small grooves where scale met scale on the back of his hand. "Then it's his ass, not mine. I may not be a proper soldier, but I'm still Alliance and he's still technically my commanding officer. I'm just following orders."

"He's ordered you to help him with this deception?" His lips thinned out, not much, but enough to make his disapproval clear.

_So much for keeping things light._

She shook her head and swallowed again. "No. If I wanted to walk away, he'd let me. But he asked me to stay. I think—I think he needs me here to keep him honest. To help keep him from becoming unhinged. And he's willing to deny I have any knowledge of the conflict of interest." She glanced up, finding his gaze still steady on her. "These people tried to kill his father and failed, instead leaving him in critical condition. He's in a coma and the doctors don't think he's going to survive, if he does, he'll never be …. There's no way I'd be able to get him to walk away from this, so my only other options are to either turn him in and get him in serious trouble, or leave him to deal with it on his own. I can't." Shrugging, she shook her head. "I just can't."

Thane smiled at her, but there was something sad to it, like a ghost haunting him, and she supposed there was. "You have a kind heart, siha."

She hesitated, frowning a little herself. "Why do you sound like you think it's a bad thing?"

Eyes widening, he shook his head. "I don't, not at all." His lips remained parted but nothing came out for a few heartbeats. "I'm only afraid this life will take it from you … and that'd be terrible."

Jasmine sighed, dropping her gaze to her lap. "Thane … in all my life my job is the one thing I've ever even come close to being good at. I'm not ready to give it up. I might not ever. You can't go into this thinking you're going to convince me to change, or with some vision in your head about who I might be 'if only.'" She looked back up at him, willing the truth of her words to show through in her eyes. "I need you to see me as I am. Accept me for me."

Thane took a breath. "Irikah," he said, her name coming out strangled. He licked his lips and tried again. "Irikah hated me for who I was when we first met." He huffed, his lips twitching at the corners. "She called me a murdering bastard. I still can't say exactly why, but I begged her to help me, to forgive me." He swallowed, his eyes losing focus, his gaze starting to dart around before snapping back to her. He worked his jaw, clenching it and then relaxing it again before continuing. "As we came to know one another, she convinced me I should leave the Compact and forge my own path in life. She was—I wanted a life with her, so I tried. I begged the hanar to release me from the Compact and returned to her. I took whatever jobs I could find, but with no marketable skills, I had no choice but to resort to manual labor."

She struggled to hold back a grin, the thought of Thane swinging a hammer for a living, or farming—or whatever he did—seemed absolutely ludicrous.

He smiled, tilting his head to the side. "You find this amusing?"

Caving, she laughed and shook her head. "No, I just … I'm just trying to picture you doing manual labor." She shook her head again. "I can't. I mean, what'd you even do?"

"Various construction and demolition jobs, mostly. Some goods transporting," he said, lifting his shoulder, "loading and unloading ships."

Grinning, she untangled her hand from his and pulled at the leather of his vest. "And uh, were you dressed like this during these construction jobs?"

His head tilted a little further, blinking both sets of eyelids. "No, not exactly."

"You know I'm picturing you shirtless now, right? Muscles bulging, scales slick with sweat." She scraped her teeth over her lip, holding a bit of it trapped there as she snickered.

He smirked, tugging her lip free from her teeth before brushing his thumb over her lip. "I do now."

She puckered her lips, kissing his thumb. "Construction is dirty work. Demolition's even worse. How'd you manage _not_ spending all your time trying to tidy up the place? You must've been miserable."

"Indeed, but not because it's dirty work." He smiled, dipping his head. "Well, not entirely, anyway. I was miserable because I had valuable skills that were going to waste while I did menial, unskilled labor; receiving scraps for pay. I worked for those who had no respect for me while I struggled to feed my family. I spent half of my time counting the different ways I could kill my employers."

Jasmine nodded, understanding easily how she'd find herself doing the same in his position.

He pulled her hand away from his vest, running his fingertips over the lines etched in her palm. "I eventually decided to return to what I do best. I couldn't bring myself to ask for my position back within the Compact, and I doubt they would've granted it to me anyway." He shook his head a little, brushing his fingers over the edges of her nails. "So, I discussed it with Irikah, and although she didn't like it, she agreed to my freelancing my skills."

"Things were never quite the same between us after, though I take responsibility. My career choices drove a wedge between us; small at first, something that with time and consideration might've been overcome …." He swallowed, his gaze flitting to hers before sliding back to their hands. "Instead, I lost myself in my work, spending more and more time away from home." He paused, seeming to weigh his words. "When home, I became distant. I didn't know how to be present with them, living two different lives and trying to keep them separate. I wasn't a good husband or a father."

He cleared his throat. "I suppose what I'm trying to say is: I have no illusions of changing you, siha. Not anymore. I have hopes for you, but I know if you choose a different path, it should be because you want it for yourself. Something you can be happy doing; always knowing regardless of your choices, I accept you. I love you, and I want you to be happy, that's all that ultimately matters to me."

She pulled him to her with the tip of her finger beneath his chin. "I love you," she whispered against his mouth, "and I want you to be happy, too." She kissed him again, their tongues meeting briefly between their lips. Sliding her hand over his frills, she pulled back, meeting his gaze. "So, this whole working shirtless thing …."

He laughed, leaning in to kiss her jaw just below her ear.


	24. Falie Janisir

**A/N: Trigger Warning: This chapter contains material, that given the past relationship between Leon and Jasmine, may be reminiscent of domestic violence.**

 

**Falie Janisir**

Seven minutes. She had seven minutes before the meeting ended, and Leon expected her to be in place. Jasmine pulled a knife from her boot, and slid it between the ceiling tile and the metal frame in front of her, easing the tile up a hair before slipping the knife back in its sheath. Lifting the tile just a little more, she peered down into the server room below. The coast was clear, so she shoved the tile aside and dropped down into the room, landing in a crouch. Six minutes and some twenty odd seconds to go.

Standing, she scanned the room, locating the user interface and crossed the floor. Jasmine inserted the OSD, watching as the system lit up, a string of ones and zeros flooding the screen. Glancing at the door, her hand resting on her pistol secured at the small of her back, she took a deep breath, trying to chase away the jittery twitch of apprehension coiling her every muscle into a spring trap with a hair trigger. She turned her attention back to the screen, tapping her fingers on the server rack next to her while she waited for the program to finish doing … whatever. Holding her breath when she heard footsteps passing the server room door, she glanced at her omni-tool. Five minutes, thirty-two seconds.

"Come on," she whispered, bringing her thumb to her mouth to gnaw on her nail.

Five minutes, eleven seconds. The screen went blank, and the OSD ejected. Jasmine pulled it from the computer, tucking it away in her pocket. Four minutes, fifty-eight seconds. She turned, running to gain speed before jumping, planting her foot on the side of a server rack, using it to launch herself up. Grabbing ahold of the frame lining the ceiling, she pulled herself up through the hole and replaced the tile. Four minutes, forty-five seconds.

Jasmine turned, running along the rafters until she reached the elevator shaft access. A quick glance down showed her the elevator cabin several floors down, stationary. Grabbing the ladder, she pulled herself into the shaft and started climbing. "Fuck," she hissed as her omni-tool vibrated against her wrist, pushing herself to climb faster.

A half a floor away from where she needed to be, she heard the elevator whirring to life beneath her, ramping up the staccato beat of her heart. "Shit, shit, shit. You've got to be kidding me."

Reaching her floor, she slammed her hand against the access door, pushing it open and climbing through. Her feet cleared the shaft, and she turned just in time to see the elevator pass by. An abrupt titter escaped her throat before she slapped her hand over her mouth, cutting it off. Two minutes, twenty-one seconds. Closing the access door, she pulled herself to her feet. Two minutes, fifteen seconds.

With no time to waste, Jasmine spun on her heel and made her way through the maze of rafters, following the blueprint in her head until she arrived just above Janisir's office. One minute, one second. She shifted the ceiling tile, making sure the room laid empty beneath her. Removing her pistol from the holster, she checked the laser sighting, attaching the silencer Leon surprised her with before they left for RetCorp. Twenty-eight seconds. Opening her omni-tool, she took half a second to frown at the message notification—the attached code declaring the sender as a liaison—before letting Leon know her position.

She sighed, the relief of making it in time short-lived as doubt reared its ugly head once more, whispering in the back of her mind. Why was a liaison contacting her while on a job with her handler? Pushing the thought away—now wasn't the time to think about it—she turned her attention back to the empty office below, taking a deep breath to clear her head.

The seconds ticked by, leaving her staring at the door, waiting. And waiting. And waiting. Finally, the door opened and her target walked in, gaze glued to a datapad. Janisir made her way around her desk and settled into her chair. Jasmine raised her gun and lined up her shot, the laser dot settling on the asari's temple. Just as her finger moved toward the trigger, the door started to open. Shifting her aim up, she let the laser cut through the darkness in front of her, hiding it from the newcomer's sight. When the door slid open, Jasmine's breath caught in her throat, immediately recognizing Nevas on the other side.

"Sorry to bother you, Ms. Janisir, but you left the weekly projections data in the staff meeting." Nevas waved the datapad in her hand a little, stepping forward to hand it off to Janisir.

Jasmine grimaced, it didn't even occur to her Nevas would be in that meeting. Thank God Leon agreed to pick off their targets away from the crowd. She liked Nevas, and even if they'd managed to avoid collateral damage, taking their targets in the staff meeting would've been traumatizing to the survivors. She didn't want to put Nevas through that hell, and she just took a huge risk to make the asari's life better, not worse.

Janisir didn't even bother to look at Nevas, waving her hand dismissively as Nevas sat the datapad down. Nevas smiled despite the exhaustion in her eyes, dipping her head, as she backed away from the desk before turning to leave. Janisir finally glanced up but only to smirk and roll her eyes at Nevas' back.

_Bitch._

Jasmine waited for the door to close behind the asari and counted to five. Lining up her shot again, she focused on the the spot of red as she willed her breath to even out. Finding her rhythm, she settled into the place of stillness where everything outside of the feel of her finger on the smooth metal of her trigger and the mark on her target disappeared; she breathed in, squeezing ever so slightly on the exhale. She watched the blossom of violet spray from the exit wound a fraction of a second before Janisir's body fell slack, slumping to the side; the lack of gun report oddly satisfying.

* * *

Makio stood just inside her office door, wrapped in the arms of another asari. Jasmine watched through the window from the empty office next-door as the two women kissed. She'd used her omni-tool to cut a hole in the glass safely hidden behind the drawn blinds, and now she waited, comfortably detached, for the unknown asari to leave.

They broke for air, Makio holding onto her lover's hands as she smiled. "I'll see you tonight."

"Can't wait." The other woman leaned in, pressing her lips to Makio's again before pulling away and leaving the office.

A pang of guilt slipped through Jasmine's calm, but she pushed it aside and locked it away, pulling the soft static of nothingness back around her. She waited for Makio to move to the other side of the room, only lining up her mark once certain any stray shot would hit the support beam and not the window across from her. Taking a breath, she pulled the trigger as she let it out.

* * *

D'Lar leaned back in her chair, her fingers tapping out an agitated rhythm on the surface of her desk. Jasmine shifted her weight a hair, keeping her focus on the picture window behind the asari, watching D'Lar's reflection as she bickered with a salarian on a vid-call. Why exactly the asari's office needed so many structurally pointless partitions, Jasmine didn't know. They made it impossible to get a bead on D'Lar at her desk from above, forcing Jasmine out of her comfort zone, but at least they gave her cover.

"I don't care what you have to do, Emarth, just get it done." D'Lar leaned forward, her voice coming out in a growl. "Because if you don't, I will come to Omega and crush you with my bare hands, breaking every bone in your frail little body, so that when I hit you with a Throw, you flop around like a stuffed pyjak." Jabbing a button, she cut the call, the screen going blank.

_Don't worry, Emarth, the psycho asari's not coming for you._

Raising her gun, she turned the corner, leveling her weapon on D'Lar just as the asari turned to look. The red dot settled on the middle of her forehead, right between the eyes, and Jasmine pulled the trigger. Lips twitching with a satisfied smirk, she turned on her heel, disappearing back the way she came.

* * *

She reached the rendezvous point, surprised Leon wasn't there. He should've beaten her to the location. The panicked sounds of frightened RetCorp employees and orders being barked from security guards echoed through the building. Someone sounded the alarm faster than she'd hoped, and they needed to get out of RetCorp immediately. She heard security moving through a sweep; they were making their way closer to her. If Leon didn't show up in a few seconds, she'd have to move to the alternate location.

_Where the hell are you? Come on, come on, come on._

"You check the south side, I'll go north."

_Shit._

Jasmine opened the maintenance access shaft and climbed inside, pulling the panel closed behind her. She took a second to send Leon a quick message, letting him know the sweep pushed her to the second location. Hunched over, nearly forced to her knees, she made her way down the shaft; each step calculated to keep the noise of her movement as muffled as possible. About nine meters in, she reached the ventilation and used her omni-tool to work the bolts loose. She'd pull the vent cover back into place behind her, but she wouldn't be able to do anything about the loose bolts once inside, so she stuffed them in her pocket. She just hoped either RetCorp security was too stupid to check, or she and Leon were long gone before they started crawling around through the ventilation system.

Duck-walking her way through the vents at a snail's pace, her pulse throbbed in her temples. She thanked the Alliance for the hell they put her through in training, making the burning muscles screaming in protest and the dust choking her lungs something she could ignore for as long as she needed to. Her omni-tool vibrated against her wrist. Checking her proximity to the nearest vent cover, she opened her omni-tool, allowing herself a sigh of relief when she recognized Leon's code.

" _Heading to the second rendezvous now."_

She ran her fingers over the holographic keys. " _A couple of minutes away."_

Closing her omni-tool, she pressed on. She heard voices as she neared the next vent and stopped, waiting for them to pass before moving forward again. Centimeter by agonizingly slow centimeter, she made her way to the next maintenance shaft, leaving the ventilation system and replacing the cover behind her. Stretching out as much as the slightly bigger space allowed, moving a little quicker, she shuffled through the shaft until she reached a ladder and started climbing down.

The soft clank of her boots against the metal rungs echoed through the chamber, sounding like booms of thunder to her straining ears, occasionally broken by muffled chaos just on the other side of the wall as she passed first one floor and then the next. Finally approaching the second rendezvous, she found Leon waiting, reaching out to help her down. She never expected to experience such profound relief to feel his strong hands wrapping around her hips, lifting her from the ladder to settle her safely on the other side of the shaft. She wiped her sweaty palms on her thighs and nodded in the direction of their planned escape route.

Without a word, she fell into line behind her handler, following him as he led them through the hallways meant for use by service personnel. It wouldn't be long before security moved into the halls, if they hadn't already—finding the thought of facing off against a horde of pissed off biotics less than appealing, Jasmine stayed alert, her ears straining for any sounds of approach. She had no doubt Leon listened just as hard, and their vigilance served them well when a moment later a door at the end of the hall started to open.

Activating their cloaks, they pushed forward, racing against the cloaks' short-lived effects while acutely aware of the need to be quiet. The door opened, four asari wearing dark uniforms, wielding assault rifles stepped over the threshold just as Jasmine and Leon reached an alcove for another door, ducking into cover. Footsteps moved closer as their cloaks dropped, leaving them exposed to anyone passing by. Jasmine counted down the recharge time in her head, keeping perfectly still, her hand resting on the device secured at her wrist. They were coming too fast, the guards would reach the alcove before the cloaks recharged. Leon's hand moved to the gun secured at the low of his back and Jasmine clenched her jaw.

_God, please let them turn around. Please. Please._

"Wait." The footsteps stopped at the asari's command. "This is Shyana, go ahead."

Holding her breath, she listened to the shuffling of feet and the clicking of weapons being checked over while the asari stood idle a handful of meters away. Leon shifted a hair, just enough to glance over his shoulder at her and she shrugged. The countdown in her head came to an end just as Leon's hand moved from his gun to his own cloaking device and she let the air seep out of her lungs.

"Come on, we're going to the server room," the asari said, and with that, the footsteps started again, moving in the other direction.

_The server room. Oh thank God. Okay, well, I guess thank Thane. But thank God I went there first._

Leon peeked around the corner. "Let's go." Stepping out of the alcove, he waved at her to follow him.

They passed the stairs; even though it'd give them a direct route to the ground floor and out of the building, stairs were too dangerous. If they got cornered there, they didn't stand a chance. They were beyond outnumbered; they needed to stick to areas they'd be able to use in their favor if forced to fight their way out, which meant more maintenance shafts and ladders. They'd want to avoid the ventilation system, though—Leon's bulk would slow them down way too much in the vents, instead leading them into the service halls from time to time.

Reaching another ladder, they made their way down two more floors before crossing back into the maintenance shafts, Leon moving ahead of her, the tight space forcing him into a full crouch. They were only two floors away from freedom when things really started going south.

A panel opened next to Leon. The asari on the other side had just enough time to suck in a surprised gasp before Leon reached out, snapping her neck. The alarm went up the moment her body hit the floor, her sisters in arms yelling her name, barking orders, and lifting their weapons, taking aim at the opening. Leon pushed to the side, taking cover and drawing his gun. Cursing under her breath, Jasmine had no choice but to do the same, praying the metal walls were thick enough to save them if the guards decided to just pepper the whole area with gunfire.

Leon leaned out of cover, firing off three shots before hiding behind the wall again. The return fire echoed in the chamber, loud enough to deafen, but the wall at Jasmine's back held out. She felt the pressure of each shot as it slammed into the wall, leaving behind heated dents to dig into her side; her cover wouldn't last forever.

She waited for the pause in fire before leaning out, leveling her gun on the first blue shape she saw, pulling the trigger before making out the asari's features. Swinging her gun around to take aim at the next, more shots rang out, one of them grazing her forearm before she scrambled back. She hissed at the sudden streak of white hot fire blazing a trail across her arm and slapped her free hand down over the wound.

"You alright, love?" Leon leaned out, shooting at the last asari. He turned his attention back to her, moving a little closer, reaching out for her arm.

She brushed him off and shook her head. "It's nothing major. We need to move before more show up." Squeezing past him, she pulled the panel closed before pushing forward.

* * *

Fifteen people dead, more guards than targets. No matter what Leon said, those were not acceptable numbers. It wasn't a botched assassination, they created a God damned massacre. By the books, avoid collateral damage; that's what they were supposed to do. How the hell did things go so wrong? She wasn't sure how long they'd been inside anymore, being pushed from one route to the next over and over again. Each time they thought the path was clear, a door opened and guards poured through, or they'd find groups of civilians cowering together, hiding in fear, leaving them no option but to reroute. And now, the joke Illium called law enforcement swarmed RetCorp, covering all exits, blocking their escape.

"We have to go back up … there's a roof access … we'll cut across to the next building." Jasmine gnawed on her cuticle while scrutinizing Leon's profile. Tired and sore, hungry and needing to use the bathroom, she just wanted out of RetCorp. As her adrenaline flagged, she found it harder and harder to stay alert.

The tendon in his jaw jumped, moving up and down as he clenched his jaw over and over, his gaze never leaving the flashing lights of the squad cars below. He let out a heavy breath, his nostrils flaring and gave a sharp nod of his head. "Yeah." His gaze brushed past her as he turned, the crazed look in his eyes turning her blood cold. "Let's go."

* * *

Jasmine pressed her body flush against the wall, edging her way around the building, the ledge stable but narrow beneath her feet. Forcing herself to take slow, deep breaths, she scanned the area ahead, desperate to find a place for them to cross. The weak, wavering feeling in her thighs stood as a constant reminder that if she slipped, if her knees buckled, she'd fall to her death. Her exhaustion whispered to her in the Devil's own voice: maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

_Not today, asshole._

Leon waited for her back on the roof, trusting her to find an escape for them, his massive size preventing him from following her until she located another way down for him. And with three more guards dead, Leon looking on the verge of going postal, and the police making their way through RetCorp, they needed a way out _now_.

* * *

Thane stood looking out the window, his hands behind his back as he forced an outward appearance of calm and indifference. Inside … inside he felt terrified. His mind and years of training demanded he avoid RetCorp while the authorities flooded the building, but his heart begged him to leave the nervous asari fidgeting behind him and go directly into the storm to find the woman he loved.

_I have to trust in her. Amonkira guide her hand, let her aim be true._

"How is _this_ a coincidence?" Nevas stopped next to him, thrusting her hand out toward the window at the sight of a dozen police skycars surrounding RetCorp in the distance. "Goddess, Saman, I'm lucky I got out of there alive!"

Resting a hand on her shoulder, he offered her a reassuring smile. "Yet you _are_ alive, Nevas, and you're safe, at home. What's happening at RetCorp right now is unfortunate, but I assure you it's not happening because you agreed to allow me to help you. The timing, however, may work in your favor. Have you arranged transportation to Thessia?"

She huffed and threw her hands up in the air, turning her back on him and pacing away again. Stopping in front of her vid screen, she turned it on again, flipping through the channels until she found a news station with live coverage. "I'm leaving in the morning, assuming the police don't knock on my door before then."

_Arashu keep her safe, she is the very air I breathe and your servant._

The news reporter tilted her head to the side as if listening to something before turning back to the screen. "I've just been informed the police have completed an initial sweep of the building. I haven't been given an exact number, but it appears several of RetCorp's high level employees and even more guards have been killed. No arrests have been made at this time, but I'm told the police are questioning all employees being evacuated from the building and are asking for those employees who fled from the danger to contact the local IPD to give statements."

The asari on the vid screen turned to the side, looking over her shoulder at the building where several officers exited. Thane suppressed a sigh of relief to see they didn't escort anyone out of the building in handcuffs, and all accounts of the dead, so far, remained asari.

"I can't …." Nevas pressed her fingers to her brow. "I don't know anything about this, but they're bound to learn RetCorp's systems were tampered with and …."

"Breathe, Nevas."

_Is this what life was like for Irikah? Living in constant fear that I might never return?_

* * *

Jasmine sat on the edge of her bed, elbows resting on her knees, her face buried in her hands. She'd taken a moment to message Thane, telling him she and Leon were out of RetCorp, she'd used his OSD, but she couldn't talk at the moment, promising she'd call him later. Taking in a deep breath, she let it out slow, trying to calm her racing thoughts. She heard Leon moving throughout the apartment, pacing from room to room like a caged animal, the news playing in the background. Something happened in there—something that made everything go to shit—and he wasn't telling her. And then ….

Then she'd read the message from a liasion. A dossier, more specifically. For the Citadel, on a target arriving in a few hours time and who'd only be there a day. There was no way she'd be able to get back to the Citadel in time; it made no sense for Leon to put her on such a time sensitive job when the Illium targets meant so much to him. Not to mention he just pulled her from the Citadel and standard protocol said she wouldn't be sent back unless absolutely necessary for at least six months. Which meant … which meant Leon didn't put her on the job, someone else made the call … someone who expected her to still be on the Citadel.

That told her two things: one, the Alliance didn't know where Jasmine was and two, the Alliance didn't have contact with Leon. There wasn't any other reason anyone besides Leon should be assigning her cases. She glanced up at the closed door, disgust at her own naiveté churning in her guts, lighting a fire in her veins.

_This job isn't sanctioned, we're not supposed to be here. The sonofabitch lied to me, again. Looked me right in the eye and lied to me. Eighteen people dead on a job that doesn't even exist and … Jesus Christ. Shit. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck._

She jumped to her feet only to stop, frozen in place looking at the door. Sucking cool air in through her nose, she let it seep back out of her before doing it again. She needed to calm down before she confronted Leon. Already agitated, if she came at him full of vitriol, he'd snap and things could get real ugly, real fast. Scrubbing her hands over her face, she took another breath and opened the door.

He glanced at her as she leaned against the doorframe, crossing her arms loosely over her chest. His gaze cut right through her, like he didn't really see her at all before he turned back to the vid screen. The news showed bodies being rolled out on stretchers, concealed in black bags. The salarian in front of the camera rattled on about some conspiracy involving RetCorp's competitors.

"Someone assigned me to a job on the Citadel," Jasmine said, fighting to keep her voice level. "I can't figure out any reason for it other than the Alliance doesn't know we're here …." She trailed off when he turned to face her, his gaze suddenly so intent and focused on her, she struggled not to squirm.

He watched her for a moment not saying a word before turning back to the screen. "Leave it alone, love."

"Leave it …." She dropped her arms to her sides, crossing the floor in long strides, putting herself between Leon and the vid screen. "Are you kidding me? I'm trying _really_ hard to stay calm here, but seriously, Leon. What. The. Fuck?"

"Don't, Jasmine." The tendon in his jaw twitched, his gaze pinning her in place. "Just don't."

_You can't be fucking serious._

She scoffed, letting every ounce of contempt she felt color the sound and shook her head. "I can't just _ignore_ this. You brought me here. Lied to me, even when I asked you about your connection to the job. You …" she said, scoffing again and turning away from him, shaking her head, "... people are dead who shouldn't be; people _I_ killed because you _tricked_ me! This is _not_ okay."

"I was protecting you!" he hissed at her. "I'm still protecting you. We've already covered it, you were following my orders, you've got nothing to worry about. I'll deal with the Alliance, just leave it alone."

"Bullshit. Protecting me would've meant never bringing me into this shit," she hissed right back, jutting out her chin as she turned back around. Mind reeling, she tried to make sense of it all, tried to consider the implications of such a colossal mountain of shit. "How are you going to 'deal with' this? Never mind losing our jobs, we're going to prison for this—if we're lucky! We'll be charged with mass murder, maybe even treason. God knows what kind of political backlash this will have for the Alliance."

"It's not going to have any political backlash because everyone in there who saw us is dead. There's nothing to pin this on us." He spoke slow, as if explaining a complex thought to a child as he raked his hand through his hair. "I'll deal with your new dossier, you'll go back to the Citadel, continue doing whatever the hell it is you were doing. Ramona Salazar is still active. The Alliance never needs to know you were here."

Jasmine crossed her arms, biting the corner of her lower lip and shook her head. She could practically feel the electric buzz in the air, and she knew she was treading on thin ice, but she couldn't stand there and pretend this was something they could just sweep under the rug. "Leon … we have to report this."

"No." He took a step closer to her, ducking his head to stare into her eyes from her level, cupping both of her shoulders. "We don't."

She shrugged his hands off of her and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Leon."

He growled, throwing his hands up in the air before letting them slap down against his legs. "I'm not fucking up the rest of my life because the Alliance didn't have the balls to do what needed to be done." Turning to pace away from her, he threaded his fingers through his hair, holding them there on top of his head. "These people murdered my father, the Alliance should've taken action, and they didn't."

Wincing, she swallowed, keeping her voice low. "Maybe, but they didn't, and now we'll be the murderers in the Alliance's eyes." Giving voice to the thoughts swirling around in her head soured her stomach. "We're in the Terminus Systems without permission, and we just killed a lot of people. This could lead to a war. The Alliance needs to know so they can prepare for the fallout."

He spun around, closing the distance between them so fast, every muscle in her body tensed. "There isn't going to _be_ any fallout, Jasmine! I've got a few loose ends to tie up and then we'll be out of here. You're over thinking this."

"Loose ends?" She furrowed her brow, narrowing her eyes to little more than slits. "What loose ends?"

His jaw flexed as he held her gaze in silence. After a moment, he took a deep breath and looked away. "Don't worry about it, just get your things ready to go." Turning, he made his way toward his room.

_No. No, no, no. God no._

She followed him, a block of ice forming in her stomach. "Hey, wait. What loose ends?"

Glancing over his shoulder, he didn't break stride. "Leave it alone. That's an order."

The proverbial straw that broke the camel's back; she couldn't feign calm anymore. "Fuck you, you don't get to give me orders right now." Fear and fury warred within her, pulling her in a million directions all at once. "What loose ends, what are you talking about?" Reaching out, she grabbed his arm, tugging at him, trying to get him to stop and talk to her.

He pinned her against the wall before she even registered his movement, his forearm pressed against her shoulders and collarbone, limiting her range of motion. "Stand the fuck down, Jasmine." His palm slamming into the wall next to her punctuated his words.

Her eyes widened in shock, adrenaline flooding her system for the millionth time that day, bringing her brain up to speed on her situation. She jerked her knee up, aiming for his groin, only to connect with his outer thigh as he twisted to avoid her blow. The move shifted his weight off her left shoulder, giving her the opening she needed; ramming the heel of her left hand up into his elbow, she used her right to grab his wrist, pulling it down, using the points of contact to angle his arm behind him as she stepped to the side.

Her upper body strength just couldn't compete with his, though. He flexed, bending his arm and jerked, nearly dragging her off of her feet and preventing her from getting his elbow locked in place to control his movements. Jasmine let go, hopping back, putting a little distance between them as she fell into a defensive stance.

Turning, he rolled his shoulders, tilting his head side to side, a snide smile spreading across his face. "You don't want to do this, love."

She brought her hands up a little higher, ready to protect her face and head. "You've lost it, Leon. I can't let you kill anyone else." The Devil laughed in the back of her mind even as her resolve steeled her spine. Only one of them would be leaving Illium alive.

He tilted his head back, letting go of a condescending bark of laughter. "'Let' me? Shit." He sucked on his teeth. "Look at you, love, all grown up and thinking you're a real badass now." He crossed his arms over his chest, his weight falling back on his heels before rocking forward onto the balls of his feet. "I've got news for you, Jasmine. You aren't shit. You've never been shit. You barely made it through training. Hell, if we weren't fucking—"

A part of her knew he was baiting her, but it didn't stop her from lunging at him, lashing out with fists and feet. He brushed most of her strikes aside as if they were nothing more than a fly buzzing around his head before landing a blow of his own, burying his fist in her solar plexus. It ripped the air right out of her, forcing her diaphragm to spasm, keeping her from drawing in breath as she doubled over, gasping uselessly. Her training kept her from panicking, but it did little to stem the flow of electrical impulses firing through her nerves, keeping her muscles tight and robbing her of oxygen.

Leon patted her shoulder, leaning down, his mouth next to her ear. "You're too predictable, love. I'm sorry, but your little playmates have to go."

He started to pull away, but Jasmine reared back, slamming her forehead into his still healing nose hard enough to make any krogan proud. Choking and sputtering, he stumbled back, just as she sucked in her first breath. She didn't waste any time, already bent over, it took her only a second to have her boot knife in her hand and straighten herself, but he was already barreling at her.

Leon hit her with the weight of a freighter, throwing her back over the couch, sending her crashing into the table. Dazed, she rolled off the splintered heap onto the floor, pushing herself up on hands and knees. Her gaze darted about, her vision wavering, her mind fighting through fog as she desperately searched for her knife lost in the collision.

Roaring in an ugly mix of rage and pain, Leon drew her attention back to him, finding him ripping her knife free from his torso, just above his left pectoral. He threw the knife to the floor and it landed a half a meter away from her, spinning lazily, stealing her attention for a heartbeat. When she glanced back up, she stared into the barrel of a gun.

Jasmine froze.

"You should've …" he said, sucking in a hissing breath, shaking his head, "you should've let it go. Why couldn't you just let it go?"

She licked her lips, the metallic tang of blood meeting her tongue. She started to push herself up on her knees but stopped, pressing her palms back to the floor when he adjusted his aim, grunting in warning. "Too many people have died already, Leon. Please, don't do this. Nevas and Saman are innocent. They had nothing to do with your father. Please." Tears stung her eyes, threatening to spillover.

He snorted, his face full of derision as he edged around the back of the couch, coming to squat down in front of her. "' _Saman'_. How stupid do you think I am?"

Forcing her brow to furrow, willing confusion on her face, she shook her head. "What?"

He pressed the muzzle of his gun against her temple. "The next time you find yourself wondering if I ever loved you … I want you to think of this moment." Reaching out with his left hand, blood trailing down his arm, soaking through his shirt, he cupped her cheek, smearing warm blood over her face as he wiped away her tears. He smiled, his eyes cold and hard when she jerked away from his touch. "Think about this moment, when despite all of your betrayals, I let you live."

The butt of his gun connected with the side of her head and her world went black.


	25. Leon Harding aka Leon Solomon

**Leon Harding aka Leon Solomon**

_Jesus fuck, how much did I drink?_

_Oh._

_Oh God._

Jasmine opened her eyes, pushing herself upright, something cool falling away from her face. Immediately regretting the sudden motion, she groaned. Lifting her hand, her fingers delicately prodded the tender, achy side of her face. She expected far worse swelling, and instead of finding an open cut she felt … Medi-gel?

_God tell me I'm not too late. Please. Maybe he hasn't found them yet._

Sitting up the rest of the way, she lifted her arm to open her omni-tool and paused, catching sight of the angry, red gash on her arm. The area around the grazing gunshot looked clean, the skin drawn together and covered with Medi-gel. Leon must've taken quite some time in the apartment before leaving, tending to his injuries … and hers. Wet, bloody rags surrounded the opened first aid kit next to her, it's contents strewn about. Leon's torn, blood soaked shirt lay in a heap in the middle of the mess, a still-cold compress on top. He might not be far.

_Damn, how long was I out?_

She opened her omni-tool with trembling fingers. "Shit. No, no, no." The orange, holographic screen sputtered and jumped before dying altogether. She pulled herself to her feet, swaying a moment before taking a tentative step. So far so good. The pain remained manageable despite sinking angry tentacles into her head and back. She would deal. What choice did she have, anyway?

Moving slowly, she made her way to her room, taking measured deep breaths to stave off the wooziness when it hit. He'd rifled through her things before leaving, tossing her clothes about, the picture Samantha drew her crumpled from rough handling and discarded carelessly on the bed. She swallowed, her fingers trembling with building rage as she picked up the picture, smoothing it back out. The bottle of supplements lay empty, the pills crushed on the floor. Tears burned her eyes, helplessness and fear choking the breath from of her when she found her laptop, shattered to pieces. She had no way to warn Thane; unless she wanted to waste time going to a public terminal.

_Thane's good. Really good. Leon won't be able to take him by surprise. He can't._

Lowering herself to her knees, she reached under the bed, sliding her gun case out and popping the latches. At least he didn't lower himself to leaving her defenseless; a mistake he'd soon regret. She took in a shaky breath, lifting her sniper rifle from the case, she checked it over, readying it for use.

_Maybe he's already dead. Thane might've killed him. But then Thane would be here now, wouldn't he?_

* * *

"You keep checking your omni-tool." Nevas glanced over at Thane, the tremor in her fingers and the feral look of an injured animal in her eyes belying the strained smile on her face. "Waiting for someone to call?"

He dipped his head. "I am, yes." He considered himself a patient man, though, and he'd continue to wait as long as Jasmine needed. His concern for her, however, seemed to have forgotten this fact. At least she messaged him to let him know she'd safely escaped RetCorp. His siha was alive, the rest could wait.

"Saman, did you meet a man?" Her tone, light and playful, sounded forced to his ears.

Chuckling, he lifted his cup to his lips, sipping the kaffe. "No, I'm waiting for a colleague to contact me."

"How boring." She took a sip of her own kaffe. Setting her cup down, she ran her finger over the rim and swallowed heavily. "I worked with those people. I saw them every day. Some of them weren't good people, but not all of them were so bad." She sniffed, running a hand under her wet eyes. "Don't misunderstand, I know RetCorp isn't what most in the galaxy would consider an honest business, but some of the people who work there are just people, working to provide for themselves and their families."

His heart ached for the conflict he saw in Nevas; the mourning for those lost and the gratitude for her freedom. "Were you close to them?"

Glancing up, she shook her head and picked her cup up again. "No, not really." She took a drink, studying him over the top of her cup. "Are you certain it's been taken care of … my problem?"

"I am." As much as possible without going into RetCorp and checking their systems himself.

"Then I think I'm going to go to the docks and see if I can leave sooner. I can't wait to be gone from here, and I know it's only a matter of time before someone mentions my name to the police and they come to look for me." She drained her cup and pushed her chair back from the table. "I don't want to be here when that happens."

"I understand." Thane stood with her. "Would you like for me to accompany you?"

"No, that's alright." She smiled, picking up their cups and carrying them to her kitchen. "Thank you, for everything, but I've taken up quite enough of your time with my fretting today."

"You've been kind to me, Nevas. It's been my pleasure to return the favor." Thane waited, hands tucked behind his back. "Are you certain you don't wish for me to accompany you? I don't mind." He did mind, though. Oh, not entirely, it didn't bother him to go with her so much as it did he still hadn't heard from Jasmine. Perhaps staying with Nevas would be good for him, distract him while he waited.

She walked out of the kitchen and stopped, her hands folded in front of her as she gave him a warm smile. "You're worried about me, aren't you?"

"It's been a troubling day." He dipped his head, acknowledging his concern.

"You don't need to worry about me. I may be young for an asari, but I'm not a child." She moved around the table, picking up her bag and lifting the strap over her head to hang across her body. "But if you want to come with me, I won't stop you."

Thane chuckled, holding his hand out toward the door, and Nevas smiled, leading the way. She turned off the lights as she passed the switch, leaving them in near darkness, only the pale, last light of the day filtering through her balcony doors. She reached out her hand, ready to open the door when a shadow fell across the hall, drawing Thane's attention.

He spun already reaching for his pistol, catching sight of the bulky silhouette of a human male framed in the glass of the balcony doors, a gun in his hand. Dropping low, Thane took Nevas with him to the floor, shoving her toward the back of the couch. "Get to cover."

Behind them, the door slid open as he slipped into the deepest shadows. Urging Nevas along with a hand on her back, he ignored the confused, panicked noises and biotic flickers coming from the asari. The whispered hiss of a silencer—just before the figure on the balcony stumbled back—alerted Thane to a second presence at the front door. Biotic energy flared to life around his hand, ready to release a Throw at the newcomer.

Glancing over his shoulder, he froze, biotic flames licking at his fingers, demanding to be released. "Siha." The word escaped him in a whisper, barely more than a confused prayer, the sight of her filling him with joy, even as the cold fury radiating from her filled him with dread.

Jasmine stepped over the threshold, her pistol wavering in her hand before she fired again, shattering the glass completely. The shot knocked the man on the balcony further back, the light hitting his face for the first time.

_Leon._

The weapon fell from his hand, blood spreading across his white shirt from both shoulder and chest. Neither shot immediately fatal, succeeding only in disarming and disabling the man. Leon dropped to his knees, a look of surprise on his face, his hands flailing out to catch himself as he fell forward. Jasmine snaked her way around furniture, her gun trembling in her hand but her aim never leaving Leon. Thane released the biotic energy surrounding his fist, intending to intervene, move to her and try to make sense of it all; Leon might still be saved if this was all some terrible mistake. Nevas grabbed his arm, clinging to him, keeping him next to her.

"What's happening? Goddess what's happening?" Nevas' voice trembled with her fear. Her mouth fell open in shock. "Sierra?"

Thane glanced at the asari as she pushed herself to her feet. He held a hand out in warning, the look on Jasmine's face making him uncertain of her state of mind. "Stay there." He pried himself free from Nevas' grip and edged out after Jasmine tucking his pistol safely away. He took slow steps, circling around to her side, easing his way into her peripheral vision.

She didn't take her eyes off of Leon, but the twitch of her jaw told him she'd seen him. She kept moving until she stood in the balcony door, looking down at Leon now lying on his back. The look in her eyes was not that of a siha, not a protector serving at Arashu's will, but one sent to deliver death, heeding the call of Kalahira. Thane didn't know why, what Leon might've done to evoke the wrath he saw there, but it made her intentions perfectly clear. She unmistakably meant for him to die. Looking down on her prey, she leveled the pistol at Leon's head; her hand steady.

The man coughed, blood spraying from his mouth, covering his teeth when he  _smiled_ at her. "Knew you had it in you, love." His gaze shifted, finding Thane's. "Take care of her."

"Go to hell." The words tore from her in a snarl, hissing between clenched teeth as she pulled the trigger one final time, putting a bullet in her handler's forehead. She lowered her gun to her side, but didn't move, remaining there looking down on his corpse.

"Sierra," Thane spoke gently, moving a little closer to her, hoping the alias reminded her of where she stood; whose ears might hear whatever she said.

She holstered her pistol and turned to look at him over her shoulder, letting him see for the first time the cut above her temple and the angry, swollen bruise on the left side of her face. He sucked in a breath, glancing back down at Leon before returning his gaze to her. Her mouth opened as if to speak, but instead she dropped her gaze, swaying a little on her feet.

"Will somebody please tell me what in the name of the Goddess is happening?" Nevas' voice drew their attention as she peered over the back of the couch.

* * *

"Get her out of here." Her gaze flicked to Thane's for the briefest of moments; anything more and she'd break. She fucked up. She fucked up bad, and now people were dead; people who shouldn't be.

_And one who should._

She'd have to pay the price; go back to the Alliance and face the music. There was too much at stake. As in potential war level shit. Not that turning herself in would change anything if it came down to it, but … she just had to, and if she looked at Thane right now, she'd only want to run. All it'd take is one touch from him, and she'd leave everything else behind her, ready to escape it all with him. She chanced looking at him again when he didn't move or speak, not quite meeting his gaze. "Please."

He took a step back, the weight of his gaze lingering on her a moment longer before he turned away, tucking his hands behind his back. "Of course."

She turned her back to the room, staring out into the last vestiges of daylight. A moment later she heard Thane's voice, soft, urgent, and reassuring as he convinced Nevas to gather her bags—already packed and waiting in her bedroom—and go with him to the docks. He promised her he'd get her an earlier departure and take care of everything else, she needn't worry about anything.

Some distant part of Jasmine wondered what he'd have to do, what sacrifice he'd have to make, to fulfill his promise. She heard Nevas agree, and breathed a sigh of relief. She'd have to think of something to tell the asari eventually, some story to explain why 'Sierra' just shot 'Adam' on Nevas' balcony and what he was even doing there to begin with, but for now … for now it was the least of her concerns.

Thane returned to her while Nevas gathered her things. Standing within easy reach but respecting her personal space, he left it up to her to make contact or not. When she didn't close the space between them, didn't reach out for him, he took one step closer and folded his hands behind his back, his voice low and practical, void of emotion. "Tell me what you need. How can I help?"

She took a deep breath, pushing back the tide of emotions threatening to sweep her away and built a dam to hold them at bay. "My omni-tool's broken. I need another to provide verification when I report his death. His will be keyed to his vitals, but I need to take it with me. His weapons, too, some of them are Alliance issued. I should probably pull him inside … I don't know if they'll try to retrieve him or not. I need to clear the apartment of our personal effects … clean up the blood …. He destroyed my laptop. I'll need to gather what evidence I can."

"Evidence?" The hint of confusion in his voice battered at her dam, threatening to rip the entire structure down.

She licked her lips and risked meeting his gaze. "There was no job. We weren't supposed to be here."

He lowered his gaze, studying the floor for a moment in silence before looking back up at her. "As soon as I've taken care of Nevas, I'll get a new omni-tool for you. If we move him with Nevas still here, it might upset her further. If you wait for me, I'll help you when I return."

Jasmine swallowed and nodded. "Thank you."

"Of course, siha." He dipped his head and stepped away.

Darkness fell completely as Nevas and Thane left, leaving her standing there alone with nothing but the moonlight to guide her. She wanted the lights off, it'd help keep prying eyes at bay; thankfully Thane knew it as well as her. Sucking in a deep breath, she crossed through the shattered balcony doors, glass sliding and crunching beneath her boots.

She stopped next to Leon, his features little more than soft lines and shadow in the night until she crouched down next to him. "You stupid sonofabitch." Lifting his arm, she slid his omni-tool from his wrist. "If you … you should've just run." She let go of his arm, letting it plop down across his chest. "I won't forgive you for this. Ever."

_And what about your sister? She's waiting for you to help her with your father and you just … God, she'll never even know what happened to you. Why'd you do this? What the hell is wrong with you? Fuck!_

She sat the omni-tool aside before tugging and shifting, checking him over for anything else he might have on him, finding only a second gun secured at his back. Taking both of his weapons and his omni-tool, she made her way back into the apartment and set them on the table. Stepping into the bathroom, she grabbed a handful of towels, carrying them back to the balcony and tossing them over pools of blood.

In Nevas' room, she pulled the sheet from her bed, balling it up in her arms, she carried it back outside. Dragging the patio chaise lounge next to him, she draped the sheet around the furniture, arranging it out over his body. The shape of the lounge created bulk and unfamiliarity, breaking up what would otherwise clearly be a covered corpse to anyone who happened to look out a window. Shit, she should've covered him right away. Someone might've already seen; the cops already be on their way.

_It's Illium, love. No one cares about one dead human._

"Fuck you. Get the hell out of my head," Jasmine muttered, glaring at the abstract patterned piece of cloth. She lifted her hand, her fingers trembling as she pushed loose tendrils of hair out of her face. Between her adrenaline crashing, having not eaten since earlier in the morning, and being hit in the head … she didn't feel so hot. "God damn you."

She supposed she'd just have to wait and see who showed up first: Thane or the police. A part of her wasn't really sure she cared, either way, her life ended the day Leon showed up on the Citadel. She made her way back into Nevas' apartment, standing in the living room, she stared blankly at the front door for a moment. Her legs felt weak, and her arms heavy. Her stomach grumbled, just in case she needed the reminder.

_Why the hell not?_

Shuffling around the couch, she headed for the kitchen. The faint glow of digital numbers the only thing lighting her path as she felt her way around, relying on the few memories she had of being in Nevas' apartment the night of the gala. Opening the refrigerator, she blinked her eyes against the harsh glare of sudden light. She pulled out a bottle of pale green liquid and turned it around in her hands until she saw the label, confirming her suspicions. "Elasa. 'Sorrow's Companion.'" She snorted softly. "Perfect."

She sat the bottle on the counter next to her before reaching back inside the refrigerator, rifling around until she found something that looked like it'd be easy to eat and not taste like shit cold; some sort of leftover pasta dish. Digging around in drawers by the light of the refrigerator, she grabbed a fork before heading to the dining table with her finds.

* * *

Thane stood in the middle of his apartment. He'd asked Jasmine to wait next to the door the moment he realized something was off. He wanted a chance to look around, confirm his suspicions before he told her he thought Leon had been in his apartment. Beyond exhausted, she didn't need anymore put on her if avoidable. Moving from room to room, he let his gaze roam, stopping on every object sitting slightly askew, not quite matching his memories of the last time he was home.

"He was here, wasn't he?" Her voice carried every ounce of defeat he'd seen in her face the entire night.

Taking a deep breath, he turned to look at her. "Yes, but don't let it concern you, siha. There's nothing here for anyone to find."

She sat her gun case down next to her feet and held a hand to her forehead. "You should make sure he didn't leave anything behind." She dropped her hand to her side, tears welling up in her eyes before she blinked them away. "Jesus, Thane. I'm so sorry. For all of this mess."

Thane moved to her, barely having the chance to reach for her before she leaned into him, tucking her arms between them and pressing her forehead to his chest. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "You have nothing to apologize for, Jasmine. I told you when I followed you here I knew the risks, and my only concerns were for you. Nothing has changed." Sliding a hand up, he gently kneaded the tight muscles at the back of her neck. "Siha … what happened?"

She took a deep breath and splayed her fingers out over his chest, tilting her head back to look at him. "It's a long, complicated story and I desperately want a shower."

He smiled, running the tips of his fingers along her jaw. "I'll lay a towel out for you."

She rewarded him with a smile of her own, the first he'd seen all night. "Thank you."

He let her go, heading into the bathroom where he opened the cabinet. Finding everything exactly where he left it, he pulled out a towel and laid it on the counter within easy reach of the shower. Reaching back inside, he grabbed the extra bottle of herbal supplements he kept on hand in case Jasmine needed them while at his apartment. After seeing hers crushed on her bedroom floor, he expected to find the same in his bathroom. It appeared Leon hadn't bothered to come into the bathroom, though, and the safety seal on the bottle remained intact. He sat the bottle down next to the towel and left the room.

Jasmine knelt on the floor in front of her bags, digging through them as she pulled out various bottles and articles of clothing. She glanced up as he came out and smiled at him again. Seeing some of the bitter control drain from her face soothed his soul a little. He'd fought himself all evening, forcing back his own emotions to accommodate her. He'd seen her struggle to keep her own battle sleep tight around her, and as much as he wanted nothing more than to comfort her, he understood she needed the emotional distance for the time being. The sight of tears in her eyes, even if she refused to let them spill down her cheeks, and her willingness to fold herself in his arms moments before felt like rays of hope to him. Her smile, though fragile and worn thin, felt like a whispered promise, telling him she would indeed be alright.

He sat down at his desk and opened his computer, leaving her to gather her things and shower. Where it might not be to others, it was obvious to him Leon spent time in Thane's chair, using his laptop, undoubtedly searching for further proof of his identity and his relationship to Jasmine. She'd mentioned the implication in Leon's words that he knew Saman wasn't his real name. What exactly Leon did know stayed a mystery, one he prayed remained as such with the man dead.

Thane still didn't have a complete picture of what transpired in RetCorp, how or when Jasmine came to realize the assassinations hadn't been sanctioned, or precisely what led her to take such violent actions against her handler—actions he wasn't entirely certain were … necessary. The lack of information didn't leave him without theories, however, most of which he pieced together when he saw the state of her apartment.

There'd very clearly been a struggle, and Thane suspected the injuries to her face were inflicted by her handler, as well as other injuries he couldn't see with his own eyes but her movements betrayed. The idea of Leon harming Jasmine deeply upset Thane, the bond between handler and assassin could only be built on deep trust, and her handler violated her trust in the worst ways possible.

He found Leon's actions even more disturbing considering the intimate history between the two. Loathe to admit it, Thane knew if Leon were still alive, he'd be hard pressed to maintain his composure with the man. The mistreatment of her personal property, in particular the herbal supplements, added to Leon's suggesting he knew something of Thane, left him with a cold feeling in the pit of his stomach. He dreaded learning just how much his relationship with Jasmine played into the day's events.

"What are you doing?" Her voice came from a meter away, drawing his attention back to her.

He glanced over his shoulder to find her crossing the floor, coming to stand beside him. "I thought I might start gathering information for you while you shower. Unless there's something more pressing, some other task you want me to start on?"

"You don't have to do this." She lifted a hand to his shoulder. "Any of this. It's my mess to clean up."

"I want to help, siha, and this is one of the few ways I can." He turned his gaze back to his computer. "Do you mind if I reach out to my contact? He might be able to assist with some of this."

"Only if you promise to let me handle his expenses this time." She squeezed his shoulder a little.

Thane glanced back at her, chuckling as he dipped his head. "If you insist. He's been trying to convince me to make an introduction between the two of you. He seems very keen on the idea of widening his clientele." He tilted his head to the side. "Though I suspect he's more interested in meeting the human who's captured my interest."

She shrugged, her lip twitching a little with thought. "Normally this is the sort of thing I'd go to a liaison with, but it never hurts to have an ace in the hole." She snorted softly when he dipped his brow in confusion. "Uh, a secret play; a backup plan."

"Ah. Indeed. I'll let Theodus know you're open to meeting him, then." He kissed the top of her hand still sitting on his shoulder. "Go, have your shower. I'll make  _cinuela_ when you're finished, if you like."

She brushed her thumb over his lips and sighed. "Okay. I won't be long." Her hand trailed away as she turned, walking toward the bathroom. "Even though I feel like spending a year in a hot bath. I ache everywhere."

"Take as long as you need, siha." He watched her step into the bathroom, smirking at the noncommittal grunt of a noise she made as the door closed behind her, absently noting she left it unlocked.

* * *

Jasmine leaned against the shower wall, letting the scalding spray wash away the blood, sweat, and grime from her body, wishing it'd cleanse her mind as well. She'd already made the call to her liaison from her apartment, sending the woman photos of Leon's body and the injuries dealt to her at his hand. She'd struggled to stay composed as she provided as much detail as she could afford to share about her time on Illium …the look on her liaison's face as she went back over the details, confirming Jasmine had in fact been the one to kill Leon—one of their own—somehow felt far worse than actually pulling the trigger.

Someone higher up in command would contact her—probably in the morning but maybe sooner—with orders on how to proceed. She'd better be ready with whatever proof of Leon's crimes she could pull together and a damn good explanation as to why she left him with so many holes. If she were being completely honest with herself, she could've taken Leon with one shot. It'd be easy to pretend between her blatant concussion and needing to protect innocent civilians she did the only sure thing under the circumstances, disarmed him first … but it'd be a lie to say she wasn't working out some anger issues with her second shot. She knew it wouldn't hit the heart, wouldn't be a kill shot, but she took it anyway. That tidbit definitely wouldn't be included in her report.

And Thane, God bless him for wanting to help. Truth be told, she didn't know if she'd be able to handle this on her own. Not  _this._ Not having come to realize her culpability in the deaths of so many. Not having killed Leon, no matter how necessary her actions were. Yet having him there made it all somehow harder. Harder to keep her emotions at bay, and … harder to not feel shame for how she handled those final moments with Leon.

There was still so much to do, though. She'd be foolish to turn down his help. Hell, anyone's help. The whole thing turned into such a colossal fuck up, and she felt like she'd drown dealing with it by herself. She definitely had a long night ahead of her, no matter how exhausted she already felt. She took a deep breath and picked up her shampoo, she really didn't want to be in there long, not while he sat out there working to clean up her mess.

As soon as she turned off the water she heard Thane's voice, his words muffled and indistinct. She assumed he must be speaking with Theodus and decided to stall; she wasn't really in the mindset to meet new people at the moment. She took her time drying off, dressing, and brushing her hair before brushing her teeth, using the running water to swallow a dose of the supplements he'd left out for her. If ever there a night existed she needed to be wary of her addiction's ugly voice whispering in the back of head, it was this night.

Still hearing him talking in the other room, she sighed and gave up, opening the bathroom door. Thane turned and glanced over his shoulder at her, giving her a look at the other drell on his laptop screen. She knew drell varied in coloration as much as humans, but she wasn't quite prepared for the snow white scales or the blood red eyes staring back at her. Still, she forced a smile on her face when he flashed his own at her and put one foot in front of the other when Thane held his hand out, beckoning to her.

"Ah, good. Perhaps you can answer Theodus' questions better than I, if you're feeling up to discussing matters." Thane stood as she approached, offering her his chair.

She nodded, taking a seat, pulling the chair a little closer to the desk, and turned her gaze up to Thane. "Might as well, needs done."

He frowned but nodded. "I'll make  _cinuela_. Are you hungry, would you like anything else?"

She cocked an eyebrow at him, feeling a smile tug at her lips.

He chuckled, his frown disappearing. "Allow me to rephrase my question: what else would you like?"

"Whatever's easiest is fine, thanks." She let her smile spread, feeling herself relax a little more at the sound of his laugh. Maybe he'd make things a little easier if she let him.

He dipped his head. "Of course."

She turned her attention back to the unfamiliar drell on the screen as Thane walked away, knowing he'd be listening from the kitchen. "Hi."

"Hello, and forgive me but I must ask what to call you." Theodus leaned back in his chair, folding his hands over his stomach as he turned the chair slowly back and forth, the weight of his gaze never leaving her. His head turned enough for her to catch sight of the washed out red and yellow markings along the sides and top of his head, the pentagon etched in pale red on his forehead barely visible in the low light around him. "I'm afraid Krios has been rather ambiguous when it comes to you, artfully avoiding using your name, and going so far as to make it clear he'd be personally offended if I looked into you deeper." One corner of his mouth lifted in a sly grin. "Which quite possibly makes you the most interesting person I've ever met."

She snorted softly. "I'm really not."

Thane appeared in the kitchen doorway. "Her name isn't mine to give you, Theodus. She only knows yours because you requested the contact." He gave her a reassuring smile. "Now be nice, she's had a difficult day."

"I'm always nice." Theodus winked at Jasmine, something she'd most definitely never seen Thane do before, earning him a raised eyebrow which only widened his smile.

"Be nicer." Thane disappeared into the kitchen again.

She turned her attention fully back to Theodus. "My name is Jasmine."

His brow ridges lifted. "Ah, so there is something to the story ' _GunForHire'_ mentioned on your thread. Do you prefer Jazz?"

She sucked on her teeth. "Only if you prefer your knee with a bullet lodged in it."

Thane's chuckle sounded from the kitchen a heartbeat before Theodus' full-bodied laugh. She smiled, leaning back in her chair. Under different circumstances, she might actually enjoy a conversation with Theodus. Pity she'd probably only ever speak to him when the shit hit the fan, leaving her in no mood for idle chit chat.

"Quite interesting." He leaned forward, his hands moving to his keyboard. "I'll take that as a 'no.'" Smile fading, he cleared his throat. "Krios has given me the rough details: your handler brought you in on an invalid contract, resulting in the deaths of twenty-one people—"

"What?" She leaned forward, all of her muscles tensing once more. "How many people?"

Theodus paused, his gaze averted from the camera but still focused on his screen, showing her the hints of the whites of his eyes, turning the red a milky pink but leaving the color of his irises indiscernible, and inseparable from his pupils. After a moment he turned his attention back to her. "The final RetCorp body count on all news network sites and the IPD file servers is twenty-one dead."

Leaning back hard enough for the chair to rock, she pressed her hands to her face. "Jesus fucking Christ."

"You expected a different number?" He asked, drawing her attention back to him.

"Yeah … I counted eighteen total. Which explains why he didn't show at the initial rendezvous." She sucked in a deep breath, her mind swimming with fatigue as it tried to put the pieces together. "Anything on the locations of bodies?"

He nodded. "I'll add it to my report." All traces of humor gone from his face and voice, he hesitated, seeming to weigh his words. "If you can verify for me the names of the intended targets, I can construct profiles for you, linking them to whatever person or event your handler claimed caused contracts to be put on them, if such a link exists, if you'd like. The more information you can give me, the better."

"Excuse me a moment?" She pushed her chair back from the desk.

"Sure." He nodded, turning his attention back to whatever else he had on his screen.

Thane met her in the kitchen doorway. "Is everything alright, siha?" He kept his voice low, concern coloring his tone.

"I—how well do you trust him?" She scraped her teeth over her lip, finding the cut just inside her lower lip, prodding it with her tongue.

"I've worked with him for many years, he's earned my trust in these matters. He's discrete. Whatever information you give him is safe." He waved a hand at nothing in particular. "He does have a tendency to ask irrelevant questions simply because he's a curious individual, but I wouldn't have you speak with him if I doubted his intentions."

"Okay." She raked a hand through her damp hair before shaking it out. Her eyebrow twitched when she caught the flare of his nostrils and the slight darkening of his frills a moment later. Smiling she stepped a little closer to him before leaning in and pressing her lips to his, savoring his warmth and suddenly wanting nothing more than to crawl into bed next to him and sleep. Yes, he'd definitely make things easier, and she'd let him.

His hand found her hip as he returned her kiss, gentle and undemanding. When she stepped away, turning to go back to the desk, his hand snagged hers, pulling her back to him. He traced her jaw with his fingers. "I love you, siha."

She smiled lifting up on her toes to kiss him again. "I love you, too."

* * *

The absence of the gentle weight of her head cradled in the crook of his arm and of her hand resting on his chest woke him from his sleep, meager as it were. He reached out for her, but she wasn't there. Sitting up, he looked around the bedroom, and not finding her, he tossed off the covers and left the bed, turning the lights on dim as he made his way from the room.

He found her standing in front of the window in the living room, the blinds drawn back. A rather precarious position for one so accustomed to sniper rifles to take, but he understood the draw of the city lights when one felt alone and lost. She'd fallen asleep only two hours before, after words and even tears abandoned her. He should be surprised to see her awake again so soon, but somehow he wasn't, instead he felt disappointed. He'd hoped she'd be able to get the sleep she so desperately needed, but he suspected on a night like this, she'd normally resort to alcohol or sleeping pills, and he had neither. He gently cleared his throat as he neared, not wanting to startle her.

Her head twitched toward the noise, but she didn't face him, instead continuing to stare out the window, her hands resting on her shoulders. "Did I wake you?"

He slid his arms around her waist, easing her back against his chest and rested his chin next to her hand on her shoulder. "No."

She snorted, moving her hand down to hold his arm against her. "Liar."

He scoffed, turning his head to kiss just behind her ear, taking note of the hitch in her breath. "Your absence woke me, it's hardly the same thing."

She hummed, her fingers caressing his arm.

"Is there anything I can do?" He gazed out over the city, just like the Citadel, things never really settled on Illium. It never felt truly peaceful there.

Her back expanded against his chest, her shoulder rising beneath his chin as she took in a deep breath, holding it a moment before letting it seep out of her. "Tell me not to do this. Tell me to tell the Alliance to fuck off and disappear, fall off their radar. Tell me to run away with you instead."

Pain lanced through his chest, burning him worse than any fire. Oh, how he wanted to tell her those things. How he wanted to beg her not to leave him, knowing it very well might be the last time he'd ever see her … knowing a terrible fate might await her. But he couldn't; he wouldn't, because it wouldn't be fair to the honorable woman he saw in her and in the end, she'd hate herself, and it'd kill them both. "Siha …."

"Shh. I know." She turned her head, pressing the side of her face against his. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. It wasn't fair to either of us."

He tightened his grip on her. "If I could do this for you, I would."

She lifted her hand, her fingers brushing over the other side of his face. "I'd never ask you to, never let you." Reaching out, she closed the blinds before turning in his arms. "You understand why I have to do this, don't you?"

He pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, pressing his palm to her face. "I do, and I admire your strength and your loyalty."

She smiled at him, all traces of the anguish she expressed earlier absent from her gaze, at least in the low light. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him to her, her mouth finding his. Her lips moved against his, slow and gentle at first, but soon with building urgency, her tongue flicking against his lips, enticing his to join it. Her scent intoxicated him, sweeping away the last of the burning in his chest, replacing it with a whole other kind of warmth, sending it coursing through his veins.

He moaned without meaning to, and it only seemed to encourage her. She pressed her body against his, one hand exploring the curves of his shoulder and arm, the other finding its way to his frills. He moaned again, his body already making demands of him he didn't know if he had yet prepared himself to heed. He didn't know if it'd be wise for either of them, all things considered. Oh, but he wanted her, wanted to know every part of her, and if she wanted this, wanted him as badly, then timing be damned. He might never see her again.

She pulled away, her chest heaving. Licking her lips she met his gaze, her fingers kneading at him with what felt like barely restrained desperation. "I want—I  _need_ you." She brought her mouth nearer, her lips hovering just out of reach. "Don't make me beg," she whispered, her voice hoarse.

"Never." He reclaimed her mouth with renewed vigor, sliding a hand under her shirt, fingers splayed across the warm, soft skin of her back.

* * *

Jasmine lifted a hand to the back of his head. Her brain—still swimming in hormones—struggled to process what just happened. Everything was going wonderful, he felt amazing beneath her, inside of her, better than she imagined … and then he just checked out. A moment later he started talking … describing the colors of Irikah's scales and the feel of being inside of her, the taste of her tongue and the sensation of her breath across his neck, heating his frills.

"Siha, I'm …" His forehead rocked back and forth against her shoulder, his fingers clinging to her sides. "... forgive me. Please, forgive me." She heard the threat of tears in his cracking voice.

"Hey." She tugged at his crest, but he didn't look up at her. "Hey, look at me."

He took a deep breath, tilting his head back, meeting her gaze with troubled eyes; emerald irises just visible in the dim light. It's what she wanted, to be able to see his eyes when he looked up at her; it was one of the reasons she'd crawled on top of him, despite her aches and pains, instead of letting him take the reins. Now the desperation and despair she saw there ripped through her heart.

She pressed her other hand against his face, her thumb brushing over his cheek and jaw. "It's alright. You didn't do anything wrong."

"I did. I thought I could …." He shook his head, dropping his gaze. "My deepest apologies." His hands slid away from her, his shoulders sagging.

She rested her forehead against his. "Thane, stop apologizing. It wasn't something you meant to do, right?"

"Of course not!" He pulled back enough to meet her gaze again. "Siha, I'd never intentionally do something so callous, so hurtful to you."

"Then you have nothing to apologize for." She brushed her lips against his. "I'm not hurt." And she wasn't. A younger version of her might've been, once upon a time, but not anymore. She kissed him again, this time she felt his lips purse against hers. "I promise," she whispered against his mouth, rolling her hips a little, feeling him twitch inside of her in response. A small moan tickled her throat and she swallowed, moving against him a little more, testing the waters. "Do you want me to stop?" God she didn't want to stop, but if he needed her to, she wouldn't push.

He made a raspy sound, his hand coming to rest on her hip. She leaned back, finding the spark of lust returning to his gaze. Running her hands over his shoulders, she pushed herself up a couple of centimeters, fighting back the urge to tighten around his length. He sucked in a ragged breath, his fingertips pressing into her hip.

She held her position there. "You have to tell me if you want me to stop."

He leaned into her, his other hand splaying out over her back. "No." His voice croaked and he licked his lips. "I don't want you to stop." He tugged on her hip, pulling her down while lifting himself up to meet her.


	26. Epilogue: 2179

**Epilogue: 2179**

_Leon pressed the muzzle of his gun against her temple. "The next time you find yourself wondering if I ever loved you … I want you to think of this moment." Reaching out with his left hand, blood trailing down his arm, soaking through his shirt, he cupped her cheek, smearing warm blood over her face as he wiped away her tears. He smiled, his eyes cold and hard when she jerked away from his touch. "Think about this moment, when despite all of your betrayals, I let you live."_

_He reared back—_

Jasmine sucked in a gasping breath, filling her nostrils with patchouli and mint. Her eyes shot open, and her heart pounded in her chest; the memory of the butt of Leon's gun flying toward her face sent every nerve into overdrive. Thane's scent cut through the haze, wrapping around her like a gentle caress, pulling her back to the present and the feel of his embrace. She nearly sobbed with the sudden relief washing over her.

Then she remembered: she killed Leon. Squeezing her eyes closed again, she pressed herself closer against Thane's side, begging sleep to reclaim her. Too late. Far too late, her mind raced through everything from the day before, reminding her of all the people who died—everyone she killed—because of Leon's vendetta.

Thanks to Theodus, she'd learned even more than she originally thought were killed in the chaos. Only it wasn't exactly chaos. Once Theodus provided her with a list of the names of the dead, Jasmine didn't even need to know where they were located in RetCorp to know what happened. Myrev Iasir and Corliava Kesus, the two asari Leon and Jasmine spent time with at the gala, as well as the third asari, Halani Atra, from their investment meeting … all three listed among the dead. It got worse; before Leon went after Thane and Nevas, he took a detour to the home of Drulius and Laeria Canso. He left the turians dead at their dining room table. Thank God the couple didn't have children; who knew what Leon might've been capable of in his state of mind?

She'd hand it to Theodus, though, the drell earned his pay twice over, easily. Worth every credit. Damn good at what he did, she easily saw why Thane kept him around. With his help, she had everything she thought she'd need to argue her case with the Alliance. They found evidence tying RetCorp back to the hit on Jasser Solomon, information on the roles played by the original six asari, and perhaps most importantly, evidence Leon was Jasser Solomon's son. At the very least, it'd be enough to convince the Alliance to look through Leon's files and follow the breadcrumbs themselves.

Thane's arm tightened around her and she sighed. Running her fingertips over the scales of his chest, she opened her eyes, turning her face up to find his gaze. The soft light filtering through the diaphanous curtains caught on his face, creating a blur of a halo around him, leaving a sheen on his scales. The dark pools of his eyes drew her attention, and she could almost feel herself slipping away, getting lost inside of them.

_God, he's beautiful._

Something wasn't quite right. She blinked her eyes a few times trying to clear her eyes and mind of the last few remnants of sleep, but they stubbornly clung to her, giving everything around her an ethereal quality she couldn't quite shake. "Oh," she whispered as realization dawned.

His brow dipped in concern, the motion creating new shadows on his face to draw her gaze. "Siha?"

She was high on his venom, and it only took her a moment to understand why. Her herbal supplements, long since worn off, weren't protecting her from the sticky residue their lovemaking left behind inside of her. She licked her lips, some part of her mind telling her she ought to be concerned, but for some reason, she didn't feel anything close to the panic that wrapped itself around her throat last time. This didn't seem so bad, something light and mellow instead of harsh and consuming. Maybe the supplements weren't all the way out of her system, or maybe she'd already soaked up and metabolized most of the venom in her sleep. Either way, it wasn't so bad, definitely not overwhelming, and certainly not enough to chase her from his side.

She pressed her palm flat against his chest, delighting in the feel of his heart beating beneath her hand, and smiled. "Morning."

"Jasmine, your eyes … perhaps you'd like for me to get—"

"It's okay." She slid her hand to his waist. "I'm okay. Just stay here with me for a little bit longer."

He lifted his hand, brushing hair back out of her face. "As long as you want."

* * *

Her omni-tool vibrated against her wrist, and she sat her juice back on the table. She looked at the number on her screen before glancing at Thane and taking a deep breath. "Excuse me, I have to take this in private."

He dipped his head. "Of course, siha."

Jasmine left the table and went into the bathroom, making sure the door closed behind her before answering the call. The screen lit up, showing a woman in a navy suit sitting sideways, tapping mauve-lacquered nails on the dark, glass surface of the desk in front of her. Her blond hair, twisted back in a tight bun, pulled at her temples, adding to her severe stare.

"Shepard, I presume?" Tap tap tap, her fingers worked the desk. She arched a sculpted eyebrow.

"Yes, ma'am." Jasmine squared her shoulders, spine stiffening of its own accord as instinct and training recognized the authority the stranger held over her.

The woman watched Jasmine, green eyes piercing, pinning her in place. The older woman pursed her lips before sucking her teeth and waving a finger in Jasmine's direction. "Harding did that to your face?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Hmm." She pressed her lips together into a thin line and turned her chair to face Jasmine fully. "A team is already in place on Illium. They've retrieved Harding's body and are working now to clean up the rest of your mess. I want you out of Saefos Valley. You have two hours, it should be more than enough time to gather your things and take a shuttle to Nos Astros. You'll contact your liaison when you arrive and lay low while you await further instructions. When the team is finished, you'll be contacted again, at which point you'll meet them and they'll escort you back to Earth. If you don't show at the appointed location and time, they have leave to hunt you down and bring you in by force. I suggest you don't make them, Shepard."

Jasmine jerked her head in a sharp nod. "Of course, ma'am. I'll be there."

* * *

She wrapped her arms around his waist, and stepped into him. "You're still going to Kahje, right?"

"I gave you my word. I've every intention of doing whatever it takes to ensure I have as long as possible with you and—someday, when he'll speak to me again—with Kolyat." He rubbed his hand up and down her back, and she pressed her cheek against the soft leather of his vest. "I've no reason to linger on Illium; I'll leave tonight."

"Good." She pulled back enough to look up into his eyes. "I don't know what they're going to do, Thane. You know … it's possible … they might put me in prison indefinitely."

Lips pressing tight in one suppressed emotion or another, he lifted a hand to her face. "I'm prepared to wait as long as it takes; so long as I draw breath."

She sighed, the weight of his words weighing heavy on her shoulders and gouging another chunk from her bleeding heart. "I don't want you to. I mean, I'm not saying don't wait at all … but there's got to be a point when if I don't come back … you've got to let me go. I don't want to be the thing you torture yourself with. Or the reason why you shut everyone and everything else out."

A strangled, gentle cough caught in his throat and he tilted his head a little to the side. "Siha, I …."

Licking her lips, she shook her head. She couldn't leave him thinking the second she stepped out of the door he'd wrap himself in his battle sleep and just disappear from life, refusing to let anyone in until she either returned to him or he died. "Promise me."

He lowered his gaze, tears welling up in his eyes as he pressed a hand to the center of his chest. Blinking, both sets of eyelids, he pushed the tears away before meeting her gaze again. Voice raw, rough enough to feel like sandpaper over her wounded soul, he said, "You have my word."

"Thank you." Leaning into him again, she pressed her lips to his mouth.

After returning her kiss, he rested his forehead against hers, taking slow, steady breaths. "Are you sure you don't want me to come to Nos Astra with you?" He pulled back, finding her gaze again. "It sounds as if you'll be there waiting for awhile."

"It's too risky. They might have someone watching, waiting for me to show up." She could tell by the twitch at the corners of his eyes he'd already thought of the possibility but considered himself willing to take whatever chances she dared to take herself. She'd risked him enough, though, putting one of her own on his scent already. No way would she gamble with his life again. "I can't even let myself be seen leaving here, not with everything else happening." She forced a smile on her face and a teasing lilt to her voice. "Don't worry, though, as soon as they're done with me, I'll hunt you down. I promise."

It did the trick, pulling a smile and a soft chuckle from him. "I look forward to the chase."

"I have to go." She squeezed him a little tighter, fighting back her own tears when she turned her face up to him to be kissed. "I love you."

"And I you."

* * *

Letting her walk away was one of the hardest things he'd ever done. He stood there, his hands hanging helplessly at his side, the minutes ticking by as he stared at the door praying it'd open again. He shamed himself and he shamed her, but he knew if she did come back, he'd beg her to never leave his side. The smell of her still lingered, reaching inside of him and wrapping itself around every fiber of his being. How had she managed to slip through his battle sleep and consume him so completely?

He forced his feet to move, turning aimlessly, he let his gaze roam over the apartment, desolate without her. She'd return to him, he must believe, needed to have faith that Arashu would return his siha to him. He'd breathe in her scent fresh from her skin and hair, taste her lips, and feel her body pressed against his again. And until then, he had the memories of her to get him through the long nights. It amazed him he ever thought of her as a punishment.

_This … this feels like the punishment, perhaps this was always the intent. To give me someone to love again, only to take her away. No. She will return to me; I mustn't allow fear to diminish my faith._

Taking a deep breath, he went into his room, her smell so much stronger in there. He opened the window, welcoming the cleansing breeze. Slipping off his jacket and vest, he lowered himself to the floor, folding his legs beneath him. An hour in meditation to clear his mind, and then he'd be better prepared for what he must do next.

* * *

"Jasmine? What time is it? What's wrong?" Geoffrey switched on the bedside lamp, giving her a view of Karin sleeping soundly next to him.

She sucked in a shuddering breath and wiped at her wet eyes. "Can you … can you go to your office?"

"Sure, give me just a minute." He turned off the light again, and made his way through the dark room. The dim light of the hallway cast shadows over him as he left his bedroom, and a few moments later, the brighter light of his office fully illuminated his face. With the door closed behind him, he sat down in the arm chair behind his desk and turned his attention fully on her. "Talk to me, kid. I don't think I've seen you cry since that asshole Leon broke your heart."

Jasmine snorted, swiping a thumb under her eyes again, finding the idea hit a little too close to home. Taking a deep breath, she glanced around the empty shuttle. "I fucked up," she whispered, fresh tears welling up at alarming speeds to spill over her cheeks with scorching heat. She sniffed and wiped her eyes again. "Bad. I can't … God, I can't tell you what happened. I really wish I could, but I can't put this on you."

"How can I help, Jasmine? Tell me what you need me to do," he said, his voice steady and sure, filled with a faith in her she never thought she deserved from him or anyone else.

"You can't. Not really. I just … I can't go radio silent on you without telling you _something_. It's a … legal issue. I don't know how bad it is just yet, but there's a chance I'm in serious trouble. I'm on my way to meet my escorts now, and I probably won't be able to contact anyone until at least after the Alliance determines whether I'm going to be held responsible for this incredibly fucked up situation."

Geoffrey let out a long, slow breath and pinched the bridge of his nose before spreading his thumb and finger out over his closed eyelids. "Christ. What should I tell Karin and the kids?"

She shook her head, pulling her shoulders up so high they nearly touched her ears. "I don't know." She swallowed, trying to fight back the tears but her voice cracked and the floodgates opened. "I don't know. I don't know."

"Hey, hey, it's alright. I'll think of something."

* * *

How long were they going to keep her waiting? Were they testing her, did they want her to run? The option still stood. It'd be easy to call Thane and tell him she changed her mind, tell him she wanted to go with him to Kahje. But they'd chase her, find her … and either bring her in kicking and screaming or put her down like a rabid dog. Maybe him, too.

She stared at her omni-tool, willing the call to come through and end her misery. The waiting and uncertainty felt like being drawn and quartered; pulled in too many directions at once. Her omni-tool remained stubbornly silent, leaving her to stew in her self-pity and doubt for awhile longer. Letting her gaze roam over the walls of the cheap motel, she took in the abstract paintings and tried to think about something else. Anything else.

Laying back on the bed, she took stock of all her aches and pains, reminding herself of how much worse it could be. Leon caught her dead to rights, by all accounts it should be her lying dead in their apartment floor instead of him on Nevas'. So why didn't he? Hell, maybe he did love her in his own sick, twisted way, but he had to know … _had to know_ she'd come after him if he left her alive, all things considered.

_Doesn't really matter now, does it?_

Her omni-tool vibrated against her wrist, startling her out of her rumination. She sat up, opening the glowing, orange screen and swallowed. Gathering her courage, she accepted the call and took in the unfamiliar man's face in silence. Dark brown eyes studied her, sweeping over every centimeter of her face with a cold, calculating measure leaving her certain the odds weren't stacked in her favor and wouldn't be anytime soon.

"Nos Astra Commercial Spaceport. Dock thirty. One hour." He watched her until she nodded her understanding, and then he cut the call, leaving her screen dark.

"Fantastic." Jasmine closed her omni-tool and took a deep, calming breath, imagining herself pulling it all the way down to her toes before letting it out nice and slow.

Gathering her things, she checked out of the motel and took the first available shuttle. An hour wasn't much time to get to the spaceport, bypass customs and security, and make her way to the appointed dock; not in one of the busiest central hubs of trade and commerce in the galaxy, but she managed with a few minutes to spare.

One minute she stood alone, searching the docks for the face of the man who called her, and the next minute he appeared beside her. Her jaw twitched, everything inside of her wanting to lash out or run, but she willed herself to calm. Unsurprisingly, she still felt hidden eyes watching her. He brought back up, no doubt they'd taken up position in the catwalks with her in their sights. It's what she'd do.

"We're going in with the cargo until takeoff," he said, curt and to the point without so much as a hello. "We won't be on any official registries, but if anyone asks, your name is Katherine Hunter and you're returning your brother's body to Earth for burial."

Nausea swept of her, settling deep in the pit of her stomach. "Leon?"

"David Hunter is in a cryopod secured in the cargo of the _SSV Holmstead_." His gaze bore into her, his words left hanging in the air. "Once we board, you will surrender every weapon on your person or in your luggage, your omni-tool, and any of David's possessions you kept. Any questions?"

She pursed her lips. She didn't exactly expect a warm welcome, but being asked to pretend her dead handler—her former lover and the man she killed—was her brother seemed a little calloused. "What do I call you?"

His gaze shifted to the _Holmstead's_ open hangar where the crew and dock workers loaded crates onto the ship. "Michael Hunter."

Resisting the urge to scoff, she studied his profile. Ignoring the contrast in complexions between this man, herself, and Leon, they still looked absolutely nothing alike. No one would mistake them for family. "Another brother?"

His gaze flickered to her before going back to the ship. "Yes."

She allowed herself a soft snort. Whose great idea? "I suppose we're all adopted?"

Turning back to her her, he narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "Is this funny to you?"

She gave him a slow shake of her head, and sucked on her teeth. "Not even a little. What about the others?"

He arched an eyebrow at her.

She tilted her head toward the catwalks. "Whoever's hiding in the shadows watching me through their scope."

"The only other person you'll meet and need to be concerned with is Jessica Hunter, my wife. She'll meet us on the ship later." He turned his attention to the open hangar door of the ship ahead of them. "Time to go, Katherine."

* * *

He'd spoken to Mouse; asked his most trusted of the drala'fa to spread the word to the others that both he and Jasmine would be unreachable for awhile. He hoped speaking on her behalf didn't upset her if she ever had the opportunity to hear of it, but he felt something needed to be said to the drala'fa. Especially when Mouse made a point of asking him if he ever found Jasmine again. He remained ambiguous with his explanations, and felt grateful toward the boy for not asking pressing questions.

He packed his few belongings, the handful of items he cared to take with him. Finding a forgotten, cloth-covered elastic band—a few strands of Jasmine's hair tangled and clinging to its surface—nearly robbed him of his breath. Pain flared to life in his chest, memories of her flooding his mind, unraveling him all over again. Taking a few deep, calming breaths, he tucked the elastic band and its trapped hairs into his pocket before forcing himself to continue on.

Now he sat in the fading light of Illium's day, packed bags waiting next to the door; the ship he scheduled to leave on didn't depart for another two hours. He imagined she'd already left the planet behind her, on her way back to Earth to be judged for crimes another's ill-conceived actions forced her to commit, each passing minute getting further and further away from him. He fought the urge to pull his battle sleep around him to escape the pain. He made his siha promises he intended to keep.

Opening his omni-tool, he placed a call to Rone, stilling his features into an inscrutable mask while the call connected. "Hello, Brother," he said when Rone's face filled his screen.

A light smile ghosted over Rone's lips and he dipped his head. "Brother, I am glad you called. I decided to take the liberty of researching hospitals on Kahje with advanced care in Kepral's Syndrome. I have a list prepared for you, if you care to look. There are a few specialty locations, the best of which is located here in Enkindler's Pass."

Thane cleared his throat, new emotions tugging at his carefully constructed wall. "I'm certain any of the others will do just fine. There's no need for me to come to Enkindler's Pass, I don't wish to intrude." He waved a hand, attempting to dismiss the overwhelming sense of humbleness brought on by Rone's generosity more than anything else. "Thank you, I'll gladly look over the list you've compiled, you have my gratitude for taking the time to look into this for me."

"The hospital in Enkindler's Pass is exceptional, I see no reason to dismiss it from consideration. The choice is, of course, yours, however. I would be interested to know what you decide. I will forward you the list now."

"I—Thank you, Rone." Thane dipped his head, understanding Rone's words for the invitation they were—the opportunity to be a little closer to Kolyat, to family, even if it didn't mean he'd be able to actually see them during his stay. "I'll consider each option carefully and inform you of my decision." He forced himself to return the other drell's smile, even if it hurt to do so. "I'm calling now, though, to inform you my business here is concluded and I'm scheduled to leave for Kahje in a couple of hours."

Rone blinked, surprise lifting his brow ridge. "This is excellent news. From my understanding, the sooner you begin treatment, the better the outcome."

For all of his kind gestures, it became clear to Thane that the man wasn't as prepared for Thane's return to Kahje as he seemed. "I apologize it's such short notice …."

"Not at all." Rone held up a hand, giving Thane a light shake of his head.

* * *

She'd barely slept the entire trip. Everytime she closed her eyes, she saw the pain in Thane's eyes as she told him goodbye. Whenever she drifted off, she saw one dead asari's face or another … or worse, Leon's. She couldn't even let herself mourn; her 'escorts' kept too close of a watchful eye over her. So she fought to keep her feelings at bay, wrapping herself in her cloak of nothingness she used when the time came to take down a target. Her simpler, maladjusted version of Thane's battle sleep—learned not just through Phantom training, but a shitty childhood, too. It served her well over the years. Kept her in one piece. Mostly. It was the only thing keeping her together now.

She sat alone in an empty, white room; nothing but the chair under her ass to keep her company. They didn't let her see where they took her, and with no windows, she couldn't make any guesses. Hell, she wasn't even sure whether it was night or day anymore. Someone brought her food and water—judging by the gnawing pit in her stomach—several hours ago. He'd leaned against the wall and watched her eat in silence, taking her empty dishes away when she finished. About an hour later, a woman came and took her to the restroom, standing just outside the stall while Jasmine relieved herself. Afterward, the woman patted Jasmine down and took her back to her room without a word.

The door opened, and Jasmine looked up. The blond woman who called her the morning before walked into the room carrying a datapad. Jasmine stood at attention, and the woman waved at her to sit back down. A man—not the same one who brought her food—walked in behind the lady, carrying another chair. He sat the chair down across from Jasmine and left again, leaving her alone under the narrow-eyed scrutiny of the blond in a pencil skirt and heels.

The woman rested her palm on the back of the chair, lacquered nails tapping away against the plastic surface, her gaze turned to the datapad. "You're being held on multiple charges of murder under the UCMJ Article one-eighteen. It should be clear these charges are subject to change as we review the available evidence provided by both yourself and those tasked with investigation of the incidences on Illium." She paused, glancing up at Jasmine. "Someone will be in shortly to show you to your new quarters for the foreseeable future. I suggest you make yourself comfortable, Shepard. You'll be here for awhile."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the second part of the series! Thank you everyone who's followed along with Jasmine and Thane's story. Your comments, kudos, subscriptions, and bookmarks have helped to keep me going!


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